It’s a great day when Vitacost.com sends you a box of goodies to sample!! This totally made my day and I am so honored they decided to send me a variety of items to review and share with you.

Disclosure of material connection: Vitacost provided me with free samples of these products to review. All opinions expressed here are completely my own.

Now onto my review of these products:

1) Kathy Smith PGX Program “Get Moving” – Kathy Smith is a icon in the world of fitness. I remember working out to one of her VHS aerobics tapes when I was in high school. I can even remember some of the workout moves. She always inspired me to sweat it out and feel great. I was psyched to workout with her again years later and feel the same inspiration with this workout DVD as well. Kathy knows how to make you work up a sweat, is very motivating, and fun. She explains exercise movements very well so you never feel lost, that is my usual complaint with most workout videos. Her clear instructions and upbeat motivational style has me going back to this DVD often to feel and see tangible results.

2) Orgain “Iced Café Mocha” Protein Drink – I had my husband sample this one due to my dairy intolerance. Milk and I don’t get along . This to-go protein drink contains both whey protein and milk protein, studies have shown whey protein to be highly absorbable and great for post workout protein. Heman drank it down and said the flavor did taste like mocha with no after taste. He said it was light and creamy, not thick and creamy. If you prefer light and creamy, this drink is for you. You get a boost of several vitamins and minerals, there is no caffeine in it, despite the mocha name. The sugar count is 13 grams which translates to 3.25 grams of sugar. This is much less than typical sugar content of a drink from a coffee shop and it delivers a high protein count of 16 grams, ideal for post workout. For on the go, this is a good option. I always recommend real whole foods, but it’s good for a stand-by if you’re short on time.

3) Real Salt – I use this stuff everyday! I actually have a large bag in my kitchen cabinet, but the size Vitacost sent me is much easier to sprinkle on food when I’m cooking. This salt is unaltered, so it contains all of the trace minerals that are naturally in salt. It’s sourced from Utah, made in the USA! All of the salt grains are a different color indicating high trace mineral content. The pure white salt most people are used to seeing has been refined and stripped of all trace minerals expect for the sodium chloride. Our bodies do need some salt for electrolyte balance and other functions so your best bet is to use Real Salt.

4) Annie’s White Cheddar Popcorn – This popcorn contains dairy, so my husband happily stepped in to review for me, thanks honey! I did review the ingredients and was pleased to see no artificial colors (no food dyes) or flavors (no MSG), so he has my blessing to go ahead and eat it. He liked the white cheddar popcorn and said it was a solid snack choice.

5) NuGO Slim Non-Dairy Bar, Espresso – This bar had me at non-dairy gluten-free and high protein! The flavor is dark chocolate accented by espresso, winner in my chocoholic book. It wasn’t overly sweet, it was just right in the satisfactory department. The bar only contains 3g of sugar, a huge bonus in my book, I think that’s why it wasn’t super moist because it wasn’t soaking in brown rice syrup or agave syrup. The moisture factor was just right, it wasn’t a dry bar, but you definitely wanted to consume it with water. To me that’s perfect, because you are supposed to drink plenty of water with these type of bars to help with absorption of the protein and nutrients. I would get this for travel and on the go. I rely mostly on real food or bars I make myself, but it’s always good to have a backup you can pack for travel or in emergency ‘gotta have something now’ days. There are no artificial sweeteners or maltitol, which can cause stomach upset for some, me being one of those people.

6) Earthpaste toothpaste – I am on the natural toothpaste band wagon. My go to is Kiss My Face toothpaste, I have never tried Earthpaste, but I was impressed. This actually has clay in it, no coloring of any kind (no neon blue), contains sea salt – which I love too. This is hard core all natural and I like it, there are no questions as to what happens if I accidently swallow, no need to call 911 or Poison Control. Earthpaste has got it right, it’s exactly what we need to clean teeth, nothing more or less. Well done!

7) Alpha Hydrox Diabetic Shampoo and Scalp Care – This shampoo contains wheat and therefore gluten so I again passed it on to my husband. I have sensitive skin and since I also have a wheat intolerance, I do not eat wheat and try to avoid body care products that contain wheat. He said the shampoo left his hair soft and smooth. It has a slight medicine smell, but it’s not very strong, it just doesn’t smell like flowers or perfume. It does contain sodium lauryl sulfate if that is a chemical you choose to avoid, studies show it can irritate skin on some people.

8) Promax Fit Crisp – This snack bar contains whey protein and milk so I had my husband sample it since I am dairy intolerant. He said it was like an apple cinnamon rice crispy treat, however, he felt it had a slight after taste. It does not contain artificial ingredients, so I am not sure where the after taste would come from. Other people may not notice it. It contains 13 grams of protein out of 140 calories. This bar relies on both whey and soy protein, it also contains egg albumin and yogurt powder. This bar is peanut free, so great for those with peanut allergies.

I hope this product review inspired you to try a few new products from Vitacost.com!

Thank you again Vitacost.com for some great products to try