Be Skinny by Health Guard Review

Disclosure: I was provided with a sample 2-pack of Be Skinny by Health Guard juice drinks however all product opinions are my own based on my use of the provided samples.

After training for an endurance event I got used to burning lots of extra calories and thus being able to enjoying lots of snacks including some less than healthy snack options.  However, since I completed my half ironman a few weeks ago and have been enjoying a rest period I have noticed that my snack level is just as high but my workouts and calorie burn are way down.  It's something that I have to catch before it gets out of hand and leads to unwanted weight gain. That's why I was very interested to hear about a new product from Health Guard to help control appetite.  The product is called Be Skinny and it is a 2 oz juice that can help control your appetite.

The product is an all natural product that contains Saffron Extract and Cranberry Extract.  The juice has a pineapple cranberry flavor but to me it tasted more cranberry than pineapple.  The taste was pleasant especially since I had kept mine in the refrigerator so it was chilled.  One bottle equates to one serving and is just 30 calories and fat-free.

The instructions for use are very simple...take one bottle 45 minutes to 1 hour before a meal. The bottle is 2 oz of juice and easy to drink down.  The instructions call for you to shake the bottle to activate the ingredients.  I'm not so sure what that really accomplished but it seemed to make it frothy.  The drink was very easy to drink and was roughly two sips and then I was done.  It almost wasn't even enough to truly detect the taste but my overall impression was that the taste was very pleasant and cranberry like.

I tried Be Skinny out around noon on a Saturday after running a race.  I waited about 45 minutes and then prepared a healthy lunch of salad with protein and veggies mixed in.  I didn't have plans for the afternoon other than recuperating from the race.  Usually this would be a sign for lots of tv watching and snacking on the couch throughout the afternoon.  Thanks to Be Skinny as I was able to control my snacking and just have one snack later in the afternoon.  Usually a weekend afternoon at home turns into me roaming into the kitchen several times selecting random snacks.  I was very pleasantly surprised that my appetite was kept in control.  Snacking is one of my biggest weaknesses so I was happy to have some help in controlling my snacking!

One thing about this product that I hadn't heard much of before was Saffron Extract.  I did a little research to learn more about it and learned that it is possible that Saffron Extract can help increase serotonin levels which can help regulate your mood and control compulsive snacking.  A quick search of the Interwebs shows that there are tons of Saffron Extract products available on the market in capsule forms and Be Skinny is one of the only ones that I spotted in a juice form.

Be Skinny has a great feature on its website to help you locate stores near you selling the product but you can also order it online on their site.  Health Guard is so sure that you'll like Be Skinny that they offer a 30 day money back guarantee.  One of the only downsides to the juice that I noticed is the price point at around $4 per bottle.  They offer multi-packs which can help you receive a lower price of about $3.50 per bottle.  It's something that I would probably look to use 1-2 times per week on high stress days when I'm more prone to emotional snacking.  You can check out the Health Guard site for more information about the product or ordering.

Trying out Full Core to #StopSnacking

I have shared before that eating/snacking is one of my big weaknesses.  I have found that a lot of my challenges around eating happen during the workday.  I eat when I'm stressed and I eat when I'm bored.  This mindless eating has been something that I have been working on since August.  I was at my heaviest weight and just not happy with the way I looked or felt.  I knew that I needed to make a change and so I began to pay more attention to my eating habits. 

I knew that to be successful I had to become a healthier eater especially at the office.  One of first things that I tried out was the meal replacement shake.  I tried products from Advocare and GNC and liked that I could get my chocolate fix through both of these shakes.  The shakes also helped me start my day off with a solid nutritional breakfast while also managing my calories towards my other meals in the day.  I still craved snacks though...and I still struggled with emotionally driven snacking. 

I was interested to learn more about a product that could help me manage my snacking and that's when Full Core entered my life through a partnership with Collective Bias.  The Full Core beverage is promoted as a natural appetite control beverage.  It's also touted as a healthy alternative to soda that provides 10 grams of fiber (up to 40% of your daily fiber needs!) What a score! I spent time shopping on the website and was surprised at how challenging it was to find the full nutritional content information on the Full Core website but I was able to search the FAQs page and confirm that the Full Core beverage was caffeine free.  I choose to keep caffeine out of my drinks as much as possible so this was an important FAQ to me.  Visit my Google + Album here to see my shopping experience recap.


Full Core Commerical #3 from full core on Vimeo.
I placed an order for a 4-pack to try out the Full Core beverage through the online store.  I noticed that the flavor was listed as a lemon-lime flavor and in my head I thought of a Lemon-Lime soda flavor.  I quickly received order confirmation and then shipment information.  The shipment was made via Fed-Ex and the delivery was very quick with the package arriving just a few days later on the day after Thanksgiving. 

On Mondays, I have a double workout with a swim at lunch and a track workout run in the evening after work.  I don't get home until 7:00PM and it's important to me to make sure that I fuel properly throughout the day to support my lunch and evening workouts.  Afternoon snacking can easily turn bad if the lure of the snack shack and candy pull me in.  I was excited to take a Full Core with me to work to try and offset the pull of the snack shack.  In the morning as I was packing my lunch bag, I made sure to include an ice-pack to keep my Full Core beverage nice and cold throughout the day.  I wanted to make sure that the drink would be cold when it was time to drink it later in the day.  I also packed a straw because everything is better with a bendy straw!  Just before 3PM, I opened up my can of Full Core and had my first taste of Full Core.  The flavor was light and citrusy and I enjoyed the alternative to having just a glass of water. 

The Full Core kept me from visiting the snack shack in the office and picking an unhealthy snack for that late-afternoon pick me up.  I still had a small snack of a few almonds just to make sure that I had enough fuel to make it through the run.  I was able to keep the snack small though and that was a big win to me. 

I really liked the taste of the Full Core drink.  I've become a big fan of flavored, sparkling waters lately and this tasted very similar.  The Full Core beverage is about $0.50 more expensive than the meal replacement shakes that I have been using.  I'm not sure that I would use these on a daily basis since the price point makes them seem like a special treat.  I enjoyed having Full Core in the afternoon but also tried it out about 30 minutes before lunch.  It was tasty each time I tried it out and it definitely helped me stop reaching for those unhealthy snacks that are plentiful at the office during the holidays. 

If you are interested in learning more about Full Core...check out the Full Core Twitter party on December 11th at 1:00 PM EST.  There will be lots of discussion on how to #StopSnacking especially during the tough holiday season.  There will be some great prizes including a $100 Visa gift card.  To be eligible for prizes, simply visit the following link to RSVP before the party. 

Disclosure:  I am a member of the Collective Bias (TM) Social Fabric (R) Community.  This content has been compensated as part of a social shopper insights study for Collective Bias and Full Core.  #StopSnacking #CBias #SocialFabric.  My shopping experience and tasting opinions are all my own.