What's Your Natural Force?
naturalforce
“Your diet is unprocessed, so why aren’t your supplements?”That’s the million dollar question, isn’t it? We work so hard to eat a balanced, whole foods diet but yet we can’t seem to find supplemental nutrients that come from whole foods and plant-based sources.I’m not going to pretend like I don’t enjoy protein powders and BCAAs during my workouts. Cause I do. And if you’ve been following me for awhile, you know that I’ve tried many different proteins and amino acids under the sun, searching for a product that combines all the best qualities: taste, integrity-rich ingredients and a good macro profile.When I went to Paleo f(x) this past year, I made a few rounds through the expo to see the new up and coming companies. One of those companies was called Natural Force, a whole foods based supplement that prides themselves in being natural, organic and paleo-friendly. Not that I’m 100% paleo, but it’s still a great asset since supplements generally have tons of unfriendly ingredients hidden inside.After taste-testing Natural Force at the symposium, I knew I wanted to give them a fair trial. I’ve taken a pretty long break from supplements this past year, as I’ve been focusing on whole foods and letting go of the “I-need-supplements-if-I-want-any-results” mentality that I’ve cultivated since my fitness competitions.With that said, these seemed very different from the typical supplements you see on the Vitamin Shoppe shelves or something at Max Muscle. Plus, they tasted very natural, no funky blue raspberry flavors or anything like that.Anyways, I reached out to them offering a review in exchange for product, and they were happy to send some my way.Disclaimer: I was sent Natural Force supplements to review without monetary compensation in return. All opinions are my own.After receiving the box of goodies, I knew the first product I wanted to try was the Iskiate Endurance formula.Here’s what it’s designed to do:
Help provide sustained energy for the body and mind from whole food sources
Nutritionally support the delivery of energy efficiently through B-vitamins and minerals
Assist in combating muscle fatigue by providing a full range of amino acids.
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Sound good right? Now what about ingredients? Honey, chia seeds, bee pollen, royal jelly and stevia.WUT.Yeah, pretty spectacular line up right there.On top of the many benefits it provides, this one was by far my favourite taste-wise. It’s so pure and clean that I almost couldn’t believe it (coming from somebody that used to drink MusclePharm during my workouts). Plus it’s pretty fun to chomp on chia seeds during my workout.I took this during my 6:30 AM CrossFit sessions to prevent my body from going catabolic. This means my muscles weren’t used as fuel during my fasted workouts. I thoroughly enjoyed everything about this one.Next up is the Raw Tea.According to them, “Natural Force Raw Tea™ is a unique blend of natural herbs, roots, fruit extracts, and superfoods to help give you a naturally powerful energy boost unlike any other supplement on the market. Although it is natural, don't let that fool you… its extremely powerful ingredients will help provide you with the energy and endurance you need to meet the demands of your grueling workout. It will nutritionally support a sustained vascular pump and improved sense of well being hours after you work out!”I mixed this one with water about 40 minutes before one of my workouts. I was delighted by both the taste and effect. For those of you that enjoy getting a little energy buzz from pre-workout powders, you'll like this. And if you're thinking, "Oh, well it's natural. It can't be that strong." Well, think again. It's pretty powerful stuff!The taste of beets was very present. So if you don't like beets, keep that in mind for this one. I absolutely love beets, so for me, this was perfect. Plus the ingredients promote natural energy, focus, endurance, vascularity and fat utilization. You can see the list of ingredients here.But really, how cool is that?! Who would have thought that raw tea could be just as powerful as a pre-workout "five" star 100 ingredient chemical explosion that you might find in Max Muscle? Oh yeah, these guys did.Last up, the Recovery Nectar.According to their website, "Natural Force Recovery Nectar® is a unique blend of all-natural plant-based ingredients formulated to help maximize recovery, decrease soreness, and recharge your body. No other supplement on the market can give you a cleaner, more direct way to infuse your body with the nutrients it needs after your intense workouts. It will help you feel completely refreshed and revitalized."I tried this one post-Crossfit one day after a doozie of a WOD. I'm usually not much for drinking anything after a workout since I love food so much. But I was in a pinch and had late lunch plans, so I didn't want to eat anything in between the end of my workout and my plans. So this perfectly came into play.I will say that I felt great after the workout. I believe this is one of those things you must take consistently to see and feel real results, but I felt replenished after my workout and I was ready for another workout the next day. So, in terms of recovery, this bad boy does wonders.The taste was probably my least favourite of the three formulas. I think it was the hint of spirulina, since that flavor is pretty tough to slip by unnoticed. But with that said, the more I drank it, the more I liked it. I think it was just one of those things where your tastebuds don't know what's coming and it's just a bit of a surprise. Here are the ingredients: coconut water, pea protein, spirulina, chia seeds, royal jelly, maca, tart cherry, silica, devil's claw, mitake mushroom and stevia!Next time somebody asks me if I want a bit of their protein shake, I'm just going to politely decline and say "No thank you, I brought my devil's claw and that's enough for me."I love the fact that the recovery nectar does more than just repair your torn muscle fibers, but it also gives your body a glorious dose of superfoods. Since I work at a company that promotes immunity strengthening and anti-inflammatory ingredients, this product definitely peaked my interest.Plus, don't forget- all of these products are ORGANIC!And they were also nice enough to send me a new shaker bottle to join me on my workouts. Ahh, the key to a women's heart is through her plant-based supplements and shiny new shaker bottles.Before I go, the guys at Natural Force provided my listeners and readers with a coupon code for 10% off their entire order! Use MINDBODY at checkout before Oct 15, 2014![Tweet "Are your supplements #paleo friendly? Check out this plant-based stack for your fitness goals!"]I really hope you give this product a go. They are going to be a new staple in my diet as I become more serious about my performance in the gym.What are your favourite supplements these days?