PROBARS

I recently received some Probars to sample and have been using them as meal replacements (which they are designed for) for the last few days. I have found that I like some of the flavors and don't like others. Although, that's just personal preference. Probars are kind of like energy bars that pack a bunch whole, organic, raw ingredients into a healthy bar that's not like eating a cardboard box, like some other energy bars. They taste decent and really do fill you up. They do a great job at being a meal replacement. I would suggest having a little water on hand though. They aren't necessarily "dry" but I did find that washing them down with some water was preferable.

The Probars have received several awards for being healthy foods, and I believe that they are. They do have a lot of oats, nuts and seeds in them so if you're allergic to any kind of nut...please check the ingredients before buying.

I've found these to be much better tasting and performing bars than others that I've used. They're healthy and easy to eat. Check them out here!

12 Flavors

MSRP: $3.29/bar
$35.48/12 pack

Amp energy drinks

Being on the night shift at work, having to routinely perform force-on-force exercises while working the night shift, and an overall lack of healthy sleep has led me to try different energy drinks for times when I need an extra boost. I would never suggest relying solely on energy drinks as a replacement for good sleep, but sometimes you just can't get decent sleep and need a little help.

One drink that I like that has good flavor and seems to do the trick for me without making me too jittery is Amp Energy drinks. They seem to wake me right up when I need it and although some people may tend to "crash" once the drink stops working, I think I've gotten a routine down to help this. I tend to sip the energy drink instead of just chugging it down. It might take me a couple hours to finish a can and this seems to give me a boost without the jitters and without too much of a crash at the end. This also tend to help curb your appetite. I've also found that when I drink this energy drink it tends to help me work through some aches and pains I may have. I'm no scientist so I don't know why this works...but it does.

Again, this shouldn't be used as a daily supplement to good sleep. But if you need an extra boost...this is one drink that seems to work.

Loud Truck Energy Gummies

Loud Truck Energy Gummies provide you with all natural ingredients to include Guarana extract and vitamins such as the B vitamins to give you energy without a crash at the end like some energy products will. They also have 220mg of Vitamin C.

These gummies taste pretty good ad are fat free. I used them during some force-on-force training and I'm no scientist or medical expert....so I can't say 100% if these boosted my energy, but I believe they did. And not the jittery kind of energy, but just that awake and "ready to go" kind of energy. But yet after a few hours I didn't crash and feel like absolute trash like some energy drinks can make you feel. They come 9 in a bag and they're super convenient by just throwing them in a cargo pocket or backpack pouch.

When you buy a box of these they come out to be around $1.80 per bag...which is a savings over the high priced energy drinks that are on the market today. So if you like energy drinks to give you a little pick me up....try these out...they're good stuff!!

Flavors: Orange, Cherry

MSRP: $21.48 per box (1 box contains 12/1oz bags).

Camelbak "Elixir" electrolite drink tablets

These drink tablet from Camelbak are decent stuff. They combine electrolytes, vitamins, and minerals that your body needs in times of high energy. They have a decent taste when the water is cold and not too bad of a taste in warm water if that's all you can get...definitely better than plain water. The nice thing about these tablets is that there's no measuring and no messy powders to deal with. Each tablet makes 24 oz. of the drink in either lemon lime or orange (orange includes caffeine for that extra boost).

One thing to note when using these is that they act like alka seltzer so when they start to dissolve they give off a gas, so to speak and you want to be sure that the top to your bottle or camelbak is off until it dissolves most of the way to prevent a build up of pressure in your container.

The tube that contains the tablets is somewhat water resistant and is easily carried in a pocket.

Another thing that makes these nice to use in your reusable container, whether it's a bottle or camelbak, is that it's sugar free. What makes this nice is that it makes clean up easy. It's suggested that you use a mild cleaner or camelbak's cleaning tablets, but a few good rinses with water does a decent job.

I really like the convenience of these tablets and the ease of use.