Products for Healthier Firefighters from Advocare

products_slide_combinedI was asked by our good friends at Advocare to do a review of some of their products. Advocare provides innovative nutritional, weight-management and sports performance products.

I had to be honest with them. I very seldom will even take an aspirin. I’m not the “muscle juice” or energy drink type (never tasted one), I’d rather eat the wrapper than an energy / health bar and, I never go to the gym or work out / lift weights.

lifting 002Genetics, farm, family and firehouse life keep me fit. I’m 132 lbs. with the strength and stamina to hold my own. Although my eating, drinking and sleeping habits could use a little work, for the most part; I consider myself in good shape.

This review just wasn’t for me but I did have someone (other than Rhett) that I thought would be prefect for it… 1st Lt. Robert Reid … aka “Bugg”.

Bugg was my Lt. back in the day’s of The Melrose Misfits and has always been an “all in” kind of guy (Learn more about Bugg in THIS LINK from our Misfit days) .

12004845_10205013602075311_110477681020381170_nBugg is very involved with 555 Fitness and lives a healthy lifestyle. He projects that lifestyle onto others and shares it with his members.

I asked him to conduct this review for me and he was more than willing. I FULLY trust his opinion and wanted to share his findings / thoughts with you as Advocore may be the product for you and/or your Company / members. Below is his review…..

“Odds are you probably know someone that is either using Advocare products or who sells them. Just like a vegan or a Crossfitter they are going to let you know all about it! To be honest that isn’t always a bad thing, it’ll give you something to chat about if you’re ever stuck in an elevator with them.

Recently I got to try some products from Advocare thanks to Captain Wines. It included some Meal Replacement Shakes, some Spark, and a few meal/snack bars. This wasn’t enough to actually take part in the 24 day challenge ( a package deal of shakes, supplements and digestive cleanse) geared towards starting a weight loss or healthier lifestyle change.  It was however enough to give me an idea of the taste, quality and whether or not they do as they claim.

The products tried were several meal replacements (chocolate, strawberry and vanilla), Advobar AM, Advobar RawAdvobar Meal and several packets of Spark.

informedChoice-1The meal replacement shakes were great! Not only in taste but in the ability to fill you up. I got to see where having a few of these shakes handy for long hours (days) spent on the training (or fire) ground where time and necessity might make having a traditional meal difficult was an advantage. Simply take a shaker, some water or skim milk, shake vigorously and you have a simple filling meal ready to go. Of course if you are using the 24-Day Challenge you will be given instructions on when and how often to use each product.

Now, onto the snack/meal bars. These were hit and miss. I’ve used several protein bars and snack bars from various brands. Some outstanding some you couldn’t feed to a stray dog. The Advobar AM and Advobar Meal were actually pretty good in taste.

10-Best-AdvoCare-ProductsThe AM bar more so than the Meal bar.  The AM bar was great for the mornings you’re running late and have to jump in the car right out of bed. They held me over enough to get to work and get ready for the day at the firehouse before preparing some eggs, or leftovers from our previous shift.

Same goes for the Meal bars but, the AM bars were more breakfast flavored (apple cinnamon as opposed to chocolate).

Now onto the Raw bar, these were geared more towards the granola bar fans.  However the flavor was very hard for me to swallow.  Very bland and sticky, making them the least favorite of all the products I tried.  Again like before, if you are following the Challenge or a specific plan you will be given instructions on when and how much to consume.

Last and certainly not least… I tried the  Spark!  This little packet of powder, available in numerous flavors can change your world.  Just like it’s title it will give you the spark you need to power through the after lunch eye lid droop or through the part-time job after a night of running smells and bells.

I’m not a big time coffee drinker but really enjoy energy drinks. I usually consume one in the morning and depending on the day, one in the afternoon as well. I choose the sugar free in an effort to minimize the crash that occurs after words.

4-9-09 027With Spark you limit the number of unpronounceable ingredients you ingest and there is no jitteriness like you will find in other energy drinks and supplements. Another bonus is convenience.  You can purchase them in small packets to be used with 12oz bottles of water. Simply take a sip from the bottle, dump in the packet shake and prepare to be energized. Great to throw in your cold weather or change of clothes bag or keep in a baggy on the high side of the truck.  If the packets aren’t enough it can be purchased in a tub with measuring scoop if you and your crew want to go in together and purchase a larger amount and get more bang for your buck.

Overall I can see where Advocare and their products could fit into the firehouse life or give you the boost you need to start down a healthier path. I am by no means an expert in diet or nutrition. At the request of Captain Wines, I’m simply offering my two cents / opinion. For a ton of more information you can visit Advocare.com (link). Once there, check out all of there options including those for the performance athletes (this is where you will find muscle gainers and recovery aids). I’ve also included links below to the actual products tested.

Lastly be sure to research what is best for you and your goals. There are many options and ways to loose weight, gain muscle and become an overall healthier person. No one way is perfect for all.

A good free place to start is 555fitness.com. Here you will find daily workouts for free, nutrition advice from some of the best in the business and have the opportunity to receive workout equipment for your department or station.  Give them a follow on any social media platform and see what you think.”

 

Learn MORE about the Advocore products reviewed in the following links… Meal Replacement Shake ,Advocare Spark ,Advocare Bar

Learn MORE about Advocore from their Web Site HERE and follow on their Face Book Page HERE .

Find “Bugg” on Face Book HERE, Visit the 555 Fitness Website HERE or on Face Book HERE. Also receive a 15% discount by using the promo code “we got this” .

Thanks for your time

Robert L. Reid

1st Lieutenant

555fitness Advocate