I don’t believe in juice cleanses. I need and love food so I’m not giving it up for anybody. I did feel like my body could benefit from a reset after a couple of weeks of traveling and eating out in early August. I had heard of Urban Remedy before and decided to look into their products. Urban Remedy is an organic health food company with an array of raw, ready to eat snacks, meals, and juices.
Their cleanses are pretty expensive. I didn’t like the idea of spending north of 180 dollars for only 3 days worth of food, but I really wanted to try some of their meals. Fortunately, you can buy their products individually. I decided to go that route and created a custom reset meal plan.
A close second for my favorite drink was the PB&J. It’s not actually peanut butter (I wouldn’t have ordered it if it was because I hate peanut butter). It was almond butter, with almond milk, and strawberries. Out of all of the drinks I ordered this was the heartiest.
This was my first matcha tea experience and all in all it wasn’t bad. I knew that matcha had an “interesting” taste before I tried it so in some ways I knew what to expect. The almond milk lent a sweetness to what would have otherwise been a slightly more savory drink. It’s one of those drinks that I could probably like even more after getting used to the taste. I would certainly drink it over Chocolate banana or Nourish.
Any chocolate milk lovers, this one is for you. This tasted just like chocolate milk. I quite enjoyed it.
This was my least favorite drink. I found it to be hard to finish with a somewhat bitter aftertaste (possibly due to the cacao, but it didn’t bother me in the cacao almond milk).
Based on the ingredients this should have been one of my favorites, but it was a huge letdown. I found it to be pretty bland with an odd aftertaste.
I really enjoyed these crackers. It’s an interesting combo but I liked it. I definitely sensed both the carrot and curry flavors. The crackers aren’t the texture of your typical crackers but that didn’t bother me at all.
These were pretty good. The texture is quite reminiscent of an oatmeal cookie, slightly chewy with some crunch to them. They weren’t amazing though so I probably wouldn’t order them again.
I loved the banana brittle! It was my favorite snack out of the bunch. Sweet enough to satisfy sweet cravings, with a delicate, crispy texture that would make it a great topping for frozen or Greek yogurt.
This wasn’t overly sweet but it also wasn’t bitter which I was expecting. The mousse was pretty dense which made it quite filling and satisfying. This would be a great choice to fulfill a sweet craving without having to hit up the bakery section at Publix.
This was one of my favorite meals. Very hearty and filling and the pesto tasted like regular pesto not a pesto imitator. They used zucchini ribbons instead of pasta which significantly lowered the calorie count. The whole meal clocks in at 330 calories.
This came with a coconut and almond butter dressing that was divine. As the name suggests, this was packed to the brim with veggies. This was one dish that I’d love to recreate.
Based on the ingredients I expected to love this one, but it was good not great. The flavors didn’t pack a big punch for me. I wouldn’t order it again.
This was unremarkable for me. It wasn’t good or bad; squarely middle of the road.
This was another low-key favorite. The flavors are simple but as I took more bites I really began to appreciate all of the flavors working together. It also had a nice crunch to it and I find I need my salads to have some crunch.
These were pretty tiny and I thought the rolls themselves tasted okay. They do come with a ginger dipping sauce that had a great kick to it. You get a much better bang for your buck with the fettucine or pad thai dishes.
Generally, the wraps. They’re pretty tiny so you get less bang for your buck. While the names and ingredients sounded amazing, the taste was a let down.
You get to choose when you want to receive your product and this doesn’t cost extra as long as you meet the shipping minimum ($75).
If you don’t reach their $75 minimum then shipping is extremely expensive (read $49). They do pack it with dry ice and let you choose your shipping date.
While the nutrition info is on the individual product pages on their website, it would be nice if all of their products contained nutrition information on the actual packaging. Some products did but some did not.
So there you have it. And no this post is not sponsored. I wasn’t sent any of these products for free or at a discounted price. I just wanted to share this information in the hopes that anyone considering Urban Remedy would find them useful. The reset definitely helped me feel refreshed.
Have you heard of Urban Remedy? Tried any of their products? Which ones are your favorites?
Many moons ago I mentioned that I was going to do a review on Michael Pollan’s Cooked. Well, I finished reading it but never got around to publishing the review so today I decided to change that.
I can always be guaranteed three things when I read a Pollan book and that is to walk away with more insight on food science, food trends, and food politics. This book certainly did not disappoint in any of those areas.
The Basics
The book itself is split into four sections – one for each of the major categories of cooking (barbecuing; cooking in a vessel – boiling or braising; baking, and fermenting) which each correspond to one of the classical elements – fire, water, air, and Earth.
A New Way of Thinking
I appreciate that Pollan makes you think about things in ways you never thought about before. For example, he mentions that all cooking starts with an act of destruction – killing, cutting, chopping, or mashing. I never really thought about it but it’s true (unless you count cereal as cooking which some people do).
He also notes that cooking makes us human. For one, it’s something we can do that other species can’t (pretty sure). Two, cooking opens up a wider variety of food sources to us, and allows us to get a more energy-dense and digestible diet which allowed our brains to grow bigger (as a result of more and better nutrients) and our guts to shrink (cooking eliminated some of the chewing and digestion restraints so we didn’t need such large digestive tracts).
Food Science
Fermentation also pre-digests food for us. Fermented food like breads or cheeses contains live cultures (bacteria) that are steadily at work transforming the contents of the food they’re contained in, into by products that we can consume which are then further digested in our stomachs. These bacteria also contribute to the diversity of the bacteria in our gut (gut microbiota) where food gets further digested.
The same molecules responsible for making you cry when you’re chopping onions may also be protecting you from dangerous bacterial growth.
Food Trends
If you’re on Instagram you’ve seen your fair share of raw foodie advocates showcasing their raw food dishes. That’s all well and good but a completely raw food diet is not sustainable according to Pollan. He notes that raw foods take more time to chew and digest which is why raw foodies rely heavily on juicers and blenders. Without them, he says, they would spend as much time chewing and digesting food as chimps do (several hours a day).
Apparently, there is not enough energy in raw foods to sustain our brains and bodies. We tend to introduce a lot of calories when we cook food with our sauces and oils and other ingredients, and as a natural by product of cooking itself, which is actually beneficial (to an extent of course)
Food Politics
I never thought about barbecuing as being inherently political but that quickly changed after reading Cooked. The methods for barbecuing – whole hog vs. section, what wood to use, even whether or not to use coals, can vary significantly from region to region, state to state, and county to county, with each group feeling that their method is superior, more authentic, or better tasting, than all the others.
Sometimes, I could do without his belabored style of writing. These are obviously topics that Pollan cares deeply about but sometimes I would read a passage and think, “Wow, that was a bit much.”
Overall, I enjoyed the book and think it’s a solid read for anyone wanting to learn more about some of the history behind the different cooking techniques we use and the evolution of cooking itself.
I hope you all are having a fabulous week!
Last Saturday I tried a new class at Blast 900 in Buckhead. Now Blast is not your typical gym. They offer fitness classes incorporating high intensity interval training. I read a lot of great reviews about Blast online, and the first class is complimentary, so I decided to sign up and check them out for myself.
The Atmosphere
It was a really friendly atmosphere. I’m always a little nervous when trying out new fitness classes because I feel like everyone already knows each other and will look at me as an outsider. The people here were really nice and I had a great convo with the instructor and another one of the employees after the class about how it went.
There was inspiration to be gleamed from every corner – quite literally. Each treadmill station had an inspirational message above it. So as you’re sprinting your heart out you can look up and see a message like the one I saw.
I also have to comment on the music. It was amazing! A total 90’s throwback jam session. I was dancing in my head as I was working out. It kept me pumped up and motivated throughout the entire class.
Class Structure
It’s an hour long class where you alternate between the treadmill and floor work. For the people on the treadmill, the instructor called out three speeds – one for walkers, joggers, and runners, and an incline percentage, and you went until she said stop. She did stress that those speeds were only guidelines and to choose a speed that worked best for you. The great thing about the treadmill portion was that she never had you going at a certain speed too long. This made the time go by really quickly. At the same time, the people on the floor were doing exercises that incorporated cardio, balance, strength, and resistance training. For the weighted floor exercises, there were three different sets of weights – 5, 10, and 15 pounds, and you chose whichever weight felt most comfortable for you. At some point the two groups switched and we continued to move back and forth between the treadmill and floor work throughout the entire class.
The hour flew by. This was the first time I’ve worked out and didn’t think about how much time was left. I’m not sure how they managed to do this, but I was so caught up in each segment and trying to push myself that I didn’t think about how much time we had left. It also really helped that the class was fast-paced so things were constantly changing.
The Segments
Quite surprisingly, the treadmill portion of the workout was my favorite part. That’s probably because I did things on the treadmill that I had no idea my body was capable of doing. I got up to a speed of 11 mph and an incline of 30 percent! For you runners out there that may be no big deal but for me it was huge. In the past the best I’ve done is 6 mph and an incline of 8. You hear this all the time (especially if you do any Jillian Michaels workouts’) but there are seriously things your body can do that you don’t even know about because you’ve never given it the chance. It made me want to figure out what other super powers my body may have. I left the class feeling so like a badass.
I really liked the floor work too. I pushed myself here by grabbing the 15 pound dumbbells instead of the 10’s or 5’s. I also got a chance to do some stabilizing work on the exercise ball which I’ve never really done before.
The Extras
I thought it was such a nice touch that each treadmill station had a cold bottle of water and a fresh towel. And if your bottle gets low they have a person who fills it up for you (and you don’t even have to ask).
Overall, I love this place. I don’t have anything negative to say about my Blast experience. It was a tough class but they managed to make it inviting and fun which is what exercising should be. I’m bummed that I didn’t try them out sooner. If you’re in the Atlanta area do yourself a favor and check them out.
My first time eating at Another Broken Egg was in Charleston last December, and my second time was about a month ago here in Atlanta. Since I’ve now been twice, in two different cities, I feel pretty good about giving a review.
Ambiance
The atmosphere of the restaurant is nice. It’s pretty laid back and there’s a quirkiness to the decor but not overwhelmingly so.
The Menu
I love that they have a nice variety of healthier offerings on their menu. Most restaurants today now have a healthy or “light” section but it feels like an afterthought as the options are limited to a salad or a bowl of soup. That’s not the case at Another Broken Egg. Their healthier items include a jumbo gluten free pancake, an herbed egg white and roasted red pepper omelet, a granola, fruit, and quinoa bowl, salmon with jicama slaw, and black bean sliders.
The Food
When I first went I had a tough time deciding what to get but I eventually settled on their “Skinny Omelet.” They use herbed egg whites with blanched asparagus, roasted red peppers, green onions, goat cheese, and roasted garlic cloves and served it with an English muffin and fresh fruit. I really enjoyed it. It tasted fresh, had great flavor, and was quite filling but I didn’t feel loaded down after wards which I liked.
 |
| “Skinny Omelet” |
The second time I went I struggled again with picking a dish but I eventually settled on the Granola, fruit, and quinoa bowl. That was such a great decision. It was amazing. The dish consists of house made honey roasted granola, blueberry quinoa, strawberries, blueberries, and toasted coconut crusted bananas with coconut milk and a vanilla yogurt drizzle. I don’t know who thought up this dish but they deserve an award. The coconut crusted bananas alone sealed the deal for me. There were so many flavors popping up in each bite and they all came together so beautifully.
 |
| Granola, Fruit, and Quinoa Bowl |
Overall, they had great food, great service, at good prices. Be prepared to want a few different things on their menu. There are still multiple items I want to try like their Popeye’s Favorite scrambled skillet and their *gasps* not healthier Cinnamon roll french toast. You should definitely check them out!
Have you ever been to Another Broken Egg? What’s your favorite dish? Tell me in the comments!
So a couple of Saturdays back I went to a class at X3 Sports in Inman Park. I signed up for their Fast Track class which is supposed to incorporate circuit training and cardio exercises. I chose this class specifically because it’s supposed to test, and ideally improve, your agility by using sports training equipment. I got there a few minutes late and the class was packed. There were apparently twice as many people as there normally are and the space they use is on the smaller side so it was stuffed! There was a short warm-up with your standard moves and then we began. The instructor had us do a circuit of basic squats, bear crawls, jump squats, diamond push-ups and side planks (on both sides) for 12 minutes going through at our own pace. We then repeated this same circuit for two more 12-minute rounds with 30 second breaks halfway through each 12 minute circuit.
Overall, my arms got a good workout but I was left disappointed. We just cycled through the same few exercises for the entire class which to me felt short (and not in a good way). I was expecting to incorporate some new moves and equipment into my workout but I didn’t. All of the moves we did were moves that I could have and actually have done at home before. I understand though that it was probably due to the large class size so it’s hard to fault them. I will say this, it does seem like a cool gym. The kind of gym that I’d want to join. They have kickboxing classes, weight training, and muay thai classes as well. Will I be joining though, probably not. One, the location isn’t particularly convenient and two they make you sign up for a year or two-year long contract (I’m not looking to get tied down). On to the next…