Adnart Infused water bottle

The Flavour It bottle from Adnart

For someone who's hardly ever in one place for long, who's never in the kitchen longer than the time it takes to make coffee, being able to drink my fruits and vegetables (without having to mess with blenders) is total heaven.That's where an  infusion water bottle, like the Flavour It is useful.

I have a problem with time --there's not enough of it. I also have a problem with food -- there's not enough of it, either. Kidding.My problem with food is that I have a difficult time eating the healthy ones. Kidding again, sort of.

But it's true that I have trouble making use of the food pyramid, and there are days when I don't come anywhere close to meeting the daily recommended amounts. If I can chop up a few fruits or vegetables and use them to transform plain water into something flavorful, I'm more likely to stay hydrated and get a dose of fruits or veggies for the day.



Flavour It is a glamorously aesthetic water bottle with an intuitive design that holds your fruit/vegetables/herbs in a cylindrical-shaped container that fits right down in the bottle. As you can see, the inside container has slots in it, and kind of resembles a filer. This holds the fruit/vegetables/herbs inside, allowing them to steep and infuse your water. The great thing is, it holds it in place, so don't have fruit chunks sloshing around loosely in there. Or coming up to slam you in the teeth when you take a drink.

The glass container ensures your drink stays cold. Flavour It comes with a glass lid, lined with a silicone ring. The design of Flavour It is chic, sleek and unique. Yes, I did come up with that all on my own, and yes, it's pleasantly lame-sounding.

Cucumber/mint infusion

The cucumber slices and spearmint infusion recipe became a favorite from day one.
It was the first infusion I tried because it's simple, and I already had both ingredients on hand (spearmint from my very own plant and a cucumber in the bottom of the fridge.) Besides these being the only ingredients I had in the house that would actually work in Flavour It (I mean, birthday cake ice cream really wouldn't go well with water and I literally had nothing on-hand but a few things) was because I know cucumber has some pretty powerful health benefits. I know, who knew, right?

Cucumber has the ability to flush the body's system, remove toxins and hydrate. Mint adds a fresh, cool flavor to water and has benefits of its own, such as soothing the stomach and gastrointestinal lining.

 
I love that with the right ingredients, you can turn plain water into something with flavor in just a few minutes. The flavor is usually subtle, but I was also fascinated with the infusion bottle due to the health aspect that I could get from adding the fruits, veggies and herbs to my water -- kind of one of those "kill two birds with one rock" things.

**They say to let your freshly infused water sit in the fridge overnight, or for at least an hour. I couldn't wait to try mine, so I did so right away and was surprised at how much flavor came with it. Leaving it in the fridge for a while will really make it pack a punch of flavor, though.

P.S. The cucumber mint water will leave you with very fresh breath.

Specs:

• BPA free

• Odorless and tasteless materials (glass and silicone)

• Stain resistant

Here, you can see how the inner-holder works. To remove it, you grab the little handle (as shown in the photo) and tug. It's attached to the red stopper thingy, which has a drinking slot in it. You simply lie the handle flat when you're drinking. In the corner is the lid. Notice the white ring around the red stopper -- it holds the thing securely in place so it doesn't come loose whether the lid is on or off.

Recipes that you'll find in the booklet, which comes with the Adnart Infused Water Bottle:
Citrus Cucumber Water:
- 4 lemon slices
- 2 lime slices
- 1 orange slice
- 2 cucumbers slices

Pretty easy, cheap and quick recipe. Most of them are, which is a huge benefit.

Cucumber Herbal Water:
- 4 cucumber slices
- 2 lemon slices
- 2 fresh mint sprigs
- 3 rosemary sprigs

I'll end up adding my daily scoop of Mila seed in my water, too I'm sure.You can also add ginger (as suggested in one of the recipes in Adnart's booklet). Strawberries, apples, cucumbers, greens, citrus, peaches, and pears are also sweet and tasty options. 

There's not much you can't use in an infusion bottle, besides bananas of course. I think they'd become mushy, but if you like that...

ConcenTrace Trace Mineral Drops

Most people don't get nutrients from food anymore. You guys must already know this.  Obviously, there's Monsanto's destruction and their GMOs, but even foods grown without Monsanto's preferred technique and GMO-flavors (that's a joke. GMOs are horrible), we still don't get the full nutrients due to the depletion of them in our soil...

So, we've been told (if not, we should be) that we need to look elsewhere to compensate for the lack of minerals in foods, which is exactly what I  have been doing.

 I'm only about 2 years into the journey of learning and implementing real health into my... well, my health. You guys have been with me on most of this journey as I've shared so much about each condition I've been dealing with, shared my journey in working to "fix" it and everything else. At this point in my "journey," I'm working on getting trace minerals into my diet/health because, going back to the introduction to this post, we do not get these things from the foods we eat (or not nearly enough.)

So, through this learning process, I learned that while the earth is depleted of  those important minerals, the seas are not! (This is where ConcenTrace comes in. I'll explain in a moment.)

And that's why you see photos of these little bottles of clear fluid that say "ConcenTrace liquid Mineral Drops" on the label in this post. I'm using this product -- ConcenTrace -- to get the necessary minerals in my diet in order to be as healthy as I can. Plus, with all the other supplements (i.e. wheatgrass, vitamins, etc.) I've been religiously adding in, it's important to get all the minerals, vitamins and nutrients necessary for them all to work. For example, like taking calcium only and not the other vitamins and minerals necessary to actually make the calcium work. If these things make sense. You have to have supply your body with all of its needs in order for any of its nutrients, minerals and vitamins to actually do it any good. P.S. ConcenTrace is GMO-free!

Now, I'm going to share with you what ConcenTrace is, what it does, the benefits, what it tastes like, how to use it, how it makes me feel and everything else I have learned or experienced while using ConcenTrace.

Great Salt Lake of Utah, 2005. Image source: http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Great_Salt_Lake_Utah_USA_2005.jpg

What is ConcenTrace?

ConcenTrace Mineral Drops come from the Great Salt Lake (in Utah), which is potent, pristine and  considered one of the best areas for ionic trace minerals. These minerals consist of over 72 trace minerals. Those of which include: 

 Calcium, Silicon, Selenium, Phosphorous, Iodine, Chromium, Manganese, Iron, Copper, Molybdenum, Zinc, Vanadium, Antimony, Barium, Beryllium, Bismuth, Boron, Bromine, Cadmium, Calcium, Carbonate, Cerium, Cesium, Chloride, Chromium, Cobalt, Copper, Dysprosium, Erbium, Europium, Gadolinium, Gallium, Germanium, Gold, Hafnium, Holmium, Indium, Iodine, Iridium, Iron, Lanthanum, Lead, Lithium, Lutetium, Magnesium, Manganese, Molybdenum, Neodymium, Nickel, Niobium, Osmium, Palladium, Phosphorus, Platinum, Potassium, Praseodymium, Rhenium, Rhodium, Rubidium, Ruthenium, Samarium, Scandium, Selenium, Silicon, Silver, Sodium, Strontium, Sulfate/Sulfur, Tantalum, Tellurium, Terbium ,Thallium, Thorium, Thulium, Tin, Titanium, Tungsten, Vanadium, Ytterbium, Yttrium, Zinc, Zirconium, plus other naturally occurring trace minerals found in seawater.

 


 How to Use ConcenTrace

Adults:  Begin taking 10 drops daily for 3 days. Then, each day after, increase it by adding 10 drops up to ½ teaspoon (40 drops) once or twice daily.

Children & Pets   Children (2 and up) as well as pets can be given ConcenTrace!  The dosage for children (remember 2 years & up) is to take 1 drop for every 5 pounds of body weight. Same dosing goes for pets. So, for my cat, who is about 6 pounds, I only give her one drop. For my 10 pound dog, it's 2 drops. 

You can mix ConcenTrace with any beverage, as far as I know. You can also add it to food.  

ConcenTrace can be used to re-mineralize water. 

Adding 20-40 drops per gallon, and it compares to "mineral water," but actually has minerals in it (I'm skeptical that those store bought mineral waters even contain minerals.)

Or you can add 2-4 drops per glass. 

For distilled water: (ConcenTrace remineralizes it):  1/4-1/2 teaspoon per gallon


Taste

ConcenTrace alone tastes very salty. And since it doesn't have any kind of putrid odor or flavor to it, it's very easy to consume without being put off by a taste or odor. It's not recommended to just consume it directly -- probably due to the strong salty taste -- but ConcenTrace recommends simply adding the drops into water or another beverage.

I personally can drink the ConcenTrace drops in any beverage without hardly noticing anything. I've had it in water, Dr. Pepper, coffee, cucumber water, tea, etc. It's virtually undetectable unless you are only drinking a tiny amount (say less than half a small saucer full of water+ConcenTrace) in order to really notice it. I've even added the drops to ConcenTrace's Green's Pak (which contains loads of fruit extracts vegetables, wheatgrass, etc.) with no problem.

I've been able to add it to the tiniest amount of water (a tiny shotglass amount of water) and barely be able to notice the ConcenTrace. The liduid is clear, nothing powdery or noticeable so there's no issues of dissolving it or having a funkly colored beverage, if that bothers you. Personally, I can drink almost any color -- hey, if you can down a cup of the green stuff (wheatgrass), you can handle clear colored liquids!

Sodium Content
* A lot of people are concerned with sodium content with this type of product. On the Trace Minerals Research (where you can literally read basically everything you could want to know about ConcenTrace including how they "make" it), it says they use their proprietary method (called ConcenFlo) that removes 99% of the sodium content.ConenTrace has low sodium content.


*Adding ConcenTrace to carbonated beverages*
I mentioned using ConcenTrace in Dr. Pepper and other carbonated. The reason isn't only to disguise taste, but because ConcenTrace can help prevent some of the damage caused from carbonated beverages, which was something I was fond of considering I am stuck on Dr. Pepper. Haven't been able to completely cut it from my diet. I'm down to one a day, though.

What are the Benefits of using ConcenTrace?
 -ConcenTrace trace mineral drops can improve bone & joint health -- something I'm going for. People have experienced improvement in strengthening bones, joints & teeth, as well as elimination of calcium deposits.

-Remineralizes water, including distilled (distilling water removes all minerals, which is why so many people recommend against it.) so you can simply have your clean, distilled water & just add ConcenTrace to replace the minerals.

-Replaces electrolytes, which can increase energy, vitality, etc.
 
-Can be use externally as a rub, but it has to be diluted with water first. You can use it to improve skin problems and hair.
 

 -Using ConcenTrace daily helps maintain energy levels

-Provides the body with the entire electrical system needed in order to function properly

-Improves and maintains pH balance in body.

Note: it's been said that disease thrives in acidic environments. Therefore, keeping the body pH balanced will reduce chances of disease. And we know that acidic pH is linked to cancer. 

In turn, alkalinizing your body alone will improve health conditions. Toxins begin to be removed from the body once the pH balance isn't low (acidic.) If you want to know more about the benefits of alkalizing your body -- I highly recomend doing a search on that. No room to put it in this post, but perhaps in the future if ya'll are interested.

-Has a cleansing effect on the digestive system & will regulate.

-Helps assimilate vitamins (vitamins will be used by the body when combined with minerals.)

-Beneficial for remineralizing soil in gardens and for house plants when diluted with water.

-Beneficial for pets, too (see "how to use ConcenTrace to know how to dose for pets).

-"A recent study has shown that a few drops per glass balances soda to greatly reduce the potentially harmful effects of carbonation."

 This is why I've been adding ConcenTrace Mineral Drops to my carbonated beverages!

-Efficient Magnesium supplement.

Here are the ingredients:

Ionic sea minerals from the Great Salt Lake in Utah, USA. Contains no other added ingredients.

Supplement Facts:

 Serving size is 1/2 teaspoon (about 40 drops).  96 servings per container.

Magnesium 250 mg

Chloride 650 mg

Sodium 5 mg

Potassium 3 mg

Sulfate 40 mg

Lithium 1.5 mg

Boron 1 mg

My Results

I'm on day 3 of taking ConcenTrace trace minerals right now. I'll share my experience, and will continue to update as I see more & more changes.

Day 1: Didn't necessarily notice anything different, which was to be expected.

Day 2: I woke up (before even taking this day's "dose") and felt like I had slept like a rock. I was dead asleep for a solid 10 hours. Thought little of it.

Until Day 3: Which is today. When I woke up, I thought what on earth is with me. I never sleep that hard! And as soon as that thought crossed my mind, I remembered that it's a benefit a lot of people get from getting trace minerals! So, it's day three and the past 2 days, my sleep was awesome. Uninterrupted, hard sleep. It doesn't cause me to over-sleep, but to just sleep really well.

Besides that, I had one more change -- I felt good from the minute I woke up. I felt kind of excited and didn't even spend my usual 20 minutes in a heavy fog. I normally feel kind of heavy and just rough in general when I first wake up, but I felt plain old ready to go today.

It's 8PM right now and this has been a great Sunday. I'm still feeling pretty lovely. I took my "dose" of ConcenTrace about 35 minutes ago, and soon after, I went on a cleaning spree.

The thing is, I don't feel "hyped up" or anything, but as I was cleaning just moments ago (Sweeping, etc.) I felt unusually calm and had a good feeling about getting it done. Normally my cleaning sprees are sporadic and very uncalm. I'm all over the place and feel like I'm exhausting myself & like my mind & body is in super over-drive thinking of how I can just do it as quickly as possible and move on to do the next dreaded task as quickly as I can.

Tonight, I didn't feel that way. I don't know if it's the ConcenTrace or not, but I just felt like doing the tasks well! Not hurrying, but feeling happy to do them and spend time doing it. If this even makes sense. . .

So far, these are the things I noticed. I'm excited to know there's good changes taking place on the inside of me, so I'll keep an eye out & continue to update as I continue using ConcenTrace. I'd heard people say it makes them feel good & energetic, but I never actually expected to have this myself, so it's exciting.

Day 4  Not a whole lot different. I wouldn't say I felt quite as good as I did yesterday, but better than usual. I didn't wake up feeling super great as I did yesterday, but certainly not bad & not with a headache, so that's very good.

Two Weeks Later: I often wake up and think this "best freaking sleep ever!" I'm serious. I never knew it was possible to sleep so well! I sleep hard and as soon as I wake up, my mind is re-started. No crazy head fog. It's amazing. I've been sleeping like this ever since the 2-3 day of using ConcenTrace, and I'm taking the recommended dose still everyday. I fill up a large water bottle in the morning, and add the drops. Simple as that.

 

(P.S. I'll be updating the "my results" section as I go.)

Why I Adore Trace Mineral Research (and, of course their products)

- Trace Minerals Research products are non-GMO Project Verified (now that makes me a very happy girl!)

-ConcenTrace is 26 times more concentrated than colloidal trace minerals, which means it's a very powerful health supplement. 

-All natural (also makes me a happy gal)

-Contains no preservatives or added flavors or dyes.

- Gluten-free

-Vegan

- Soluble (means the product is actually absorbed and used by the body rather than passing through, leaving it unaffected.) 

- Kosher/Halal certified

 -Certified Vegan by the American Vegetarian Association

-Trace Minerals products are tested by a 3rd party lab to ensure safety and quality.

 -Food Grade

- GRAS affirmed

-cGMP certified (Good Manufacuring Process certified) through Natural Products Association

- Solar evaporated

-No chemicals or dyes are used in Trace Mineral Research's sodium removal process

NOTES:

Worries about heavy metals that are inevitably in many things we consume, including trace minerals arise. Reading into studies and other research on this has showed that having the necessary minerals (such as those in ConcenTrace) basically cancels out the metals you consume alongside them, by preventing the body from absorbing them in the first place. It's also said that there's no need to worry because the amount of metals such as mercury in trace minerals like ConcenTrace is so low that it shouldn't harm us, anyways. But knowing that those minerals "cancels out" the harm these metals could do is helpful. And as I've said, it's been thought that mineral deficiencies are available anytime there's any disease present in the body, so it makes sense to consume trace minerals to avoid these things.

Dicslaimer:
I am not a specialist or any other kind of doctor or expert. Content on this blog is not intended to be taken as medical advice, diagnosis, treatment or advice of any sort. I'm simply sharing information about my own experiences and results from use of a product or activity in hopes of providing useful information/suggestions to readers, not to be taken as a patient/medical adviser relationship. I am not responsible for what readers choose to do after viewing the content here. Furthermore, I do not hold an "exceptional" or other special relationship with the company mentioned. I'm simply a consumer who worked with the company on a review that is in compliance with FTTC's guidelines. That means, everything you read here is my own words, not anything of the company's. I was not provided with monetary compensation for my review. All information posted has been done so with complete honesty. No action should be taken based solely on the content of this publication ( I'm not responsible.) Readers who rely on the information in this blog to replace the advise of an appropriate health care provider assume all risks of such behavior.

Navitas Natural's Coconut water

You guys have read my feelings on coconut oil... and Navitas Naturals ( a company with organic products that are super healthy and delicious!) & now I am finally getting around to talking about Navitas Naturals' Coconut Water.

Above is a photo of the coconut water powder in a spoon, just so you can see what it looks like. Below is also the coconut water powder in a spoon. Hey, I get picture happy.

I'll discuss the taste of Navitas Naturals' Coconut Water and how to use it & then we'll talk the benefits!

Now, I've tried coconut water before, but never in powder form. I tried it straight from a can -- two different brands, both from a gas station. This was my first time trying it in its organic, actually healthy form.

How to Use Coconut Water powder

The Coconut Water Powder from Navitas Naturals -- an awesome superfood company -- is super easy to use because you can just mix your serving into a bottle of water & go! I like that. It comes in the little re-sealable bag, shown above, so it's very convenient. You just dump it in your water, then stir. The recommended serving is one tablespoon, but I really like adding two to a full bottle of water because I like the taste of it to be stronger. One tablespoon isn't strong, so it's very easy to drink for those who don't like a strong coconutty flavor.

The good thing about Navitas Naturals' coconut powder is that it's fine & dissolves well. It doesn't clump up, even if mixed into really cold water. I mention that because I'm a cold-beverage kind of girl and even like my coffee cold, but often times any kind of powder stuff you need to mix into water ends up being clumpy and not mixing unless you do it in warm water. It's pretty common for me to be drinking the floating clumps of my coffee or wheat grass by scooping the clumped formation from the very top of my dang water! Thankfully, the coconut powder dissolves right away. Sometimes, I'll just put the lid back on my bottle and give it a shake. No clumpy surprises. It does turn the water cloudy, which is normal because it's a white powder -- you know, coconuts are white inside. 

And if you've tried things like coconut oil before & were super grossed out by the taste or consistency, don't worry. The coconut water is not oily like that. It's like drinking a coconut-flavored water.

 You can also mix it into smoothies, shakes, etc, which I think is ahh-mazing! It makes a super delicious smoothie & works with any flavor, especially pina-colada since it blends right in. I also drink it just in water too, for the lovely, quick benefits. I have gone in-depth about the benefits of coconut water before, but will also try and list them all again here, but forgive me if I miss some of them because coconut water has a ton of health benefits.

Where it comes from

"Navitas Coconut Powder is made from the juices found inside fresh, organic coconuts. The electrolyte-rich liquid inside the coconut has been removed and freeze-dried to preserve the flavor and nutrients in the powder."

• Each serving is only 35 calories.
• Navitas Naturals' coconut powder is certified organic, vegan, kosher, gluten free.
• Contains minerals, vitamins & enzymes.
• Is one of the best sources for hydration!
• Perfect for boosting the immune system.
• Contains electrolytes.
• Coconut water is low in sugar content & the sugar in it is natural.

The Taste
I have to admit, what I've heard about coconut water being one of the most refreshing drinks you'll ever drink is true. Especially when it's very cold. It's really a unique kind of taste. It's not super sweet, at all. In fact, it has a slight salty taste, but is totally tolerable. Like I said, the best way I know to describe it is as a lightly coconut-flavored water. It isn't milky tasting, but you can add your own stuff to make it that way! Again, pina-colada drink plus the coconut powder -- talk about yum!

Oh, and if you don't love the flavor of coconut or wouldn't love the taste mixed with other things like to create the pina-colada flavor, Navitas Naturals also carries it in chocolate flavor!

Now let's talk the health benefits! If you guys read my post like a whole year ago ( I done serious research on the benefits of coconut water, and they are quite impressive!) then you already know these things, but it can't hurt to re-know em!

 Coconut water is very high in potassium, containing even more than a banana at anywhere from 259-569 milligrams of the stuff, & low in calories. Potassium is an electrolyte said to promote heart, liver and kidney health as well as overall cellular function.

Coconut water also contains magnesium, phosphorous, sodium and calcium -- all electrolytes.  It's said to replace electrolytes even better (and safer!) than sports drinks.

Drinking coconut water can contribute to internal health of hair and skin too. It's also a natural anti-bacterial, which is one reason I was so happy to be drinking the stuff as you guys know I've dealt with IBS & endometriosis on and off & I happen to believe that IBS is a cause of candidiasis (candida albicans) and it absolutely can be gotten rid of. I'm proof of that, but since recovering greatly from both IBS & endometriosis, I've also had two flare ups, neither anywhere near as bad as what I'd lived with for so many years. I know how to get it under control now. One of my flare-ups were due to my dentist putting me on antibiotics for over 12 months without a single break in betwee! 12 months! If you guys know what antibiotics does to your body (and gut) then you can imagine how 12 months of them put me straight back into a horrible fit of the IBS. But I've talked and talked and talked about my story dealing with both, so I will spare the details here & be brief.

It contains monolaurin, which is an anti-bacterial, anti-viral and anti-prozoal monoglyceride that is used to kill lipid coated viruses such as HIV, herpes, flu, and other pathogenic bacteria. So during flu-season, remember coconut water. Coconut water, cinnamon and honey should work serious wonders during those sickly times of the year. I used them both during this winter -- religiously and was the only person besides my lovie, who also was taking these things (plus some herbs) in my entire family who did not get sick this year. Guess mom and dad and the sisters should'a followed the plan. 

My most recent flare up was within the last several months. I've had more than just a few days of that crappy, hours of pain I used to have when I was very sick with the two conditions. You guys also already know that I've used aloe vera to treat these conditions as well. So, combining another anti-bacterial such as coconut water, was definitely the right path for me. Not to mention I could certain use a boost for my kidneys since I've been taking serious amounts of calcium & well, who couldn't use good heart health?

Okay, so my problems aside. Here are some more things coconut water does:

• -Studies have shown that drinking coconut water lowers blood pressure in 71% of people. (Source: coconutwaterlife.com)

This is why my mom started drinking the coconut water -- for blood pressure. 

Now this is something I find so interesting & have shared it before, but must do so again: Coconut water is almost identical to our blood plasma and can actually be used as a replacement, and in fact, it was -- during WWII when badly wounded soldiers needed transfusions, coconut water was given intraveneously!

• Coconut water also contains antioxidants, which have anti-aging benefits, and we all know I love to anti-age! Antioxidants do a lot for your health besides anti-age you, though.

• Coconut water is also a good way to get some of the nutrients needed when you're not consuming a lot of fruits and vegetables. 

• Coconut water has long been said to be one of the most refreshing drinks. It's also been said that it hydrates even better than water.
• Combined with olive oil, coconut water can kill intestinal parasites. Not to freak y'all out but according to Applied Ozone Systems, over 700 million people have parasites. And not to make you even more freaked out, but parasites can live in the intestines for years without us knowing. There are symptoms such as bloating, gas, abdominal pain, diarrhea, etc. but even conditions such as IBS have those exact same symptoms, so it's my thinking (or my fear) that just being safe and doing certain things to kill off anything bad that might be startin' up a life in there is best. And it's not that big of a deal, you can definitely keep things like this under check.

• Consuming coconut water on a regular basis can relieve urinary problems.
• Coconut water consumption can also cause acne, scars and other skin problems to clear away. This I've experienced myself.
• Some use coconut water to help with hang-overs!

*If you guys do want to read more of what I posted in the past after doing research on coconut water, you can read a little more here.