Posts Tagged ‘Chocolate’

Protein Bar Review #24: Amazing Grass Green Superfood Chocolate Peanut Butter

Posted: October 30, 2015 in Bike Culture, Cooking, Science
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Post 24 - Amazing Grass Chcolate Peanut Butter

Brand: Amazing Grass (Still no website to link to.)

Product: Green Superfood Chocolate Peanut Butter

Weight: 2.2oz / 63g

Cost: $2.49/per, online (not from manufacturer)

Stats

Calories: 270

Total Fat: 14g, Sat. Fat 4g

Cholesterol: 15mg

Sodium: 190mg

Potassium: 250mg

Total Carb: 28g

Fiber: 3g

Sugars: 19g

Protein: 12g

Protein per ounce: 5.45g

Protein, Cost per gram: $0.21

Carb to Protein Ratio: 2.3-1

Vit A: 35% DV

Vit B12: 6% DV

Vit C: 15% DV

Vit K: 15% DV

Calcium: 10% DV

Iron: 8% DV

Organic, gluten free, and fair trade.

Not made in a gluten-free facility.

Flavor:

The taste of this Amazing Grass bar was the best that brand has had to offer, which isn’t saying much since flavor-wise this has been consistently one of the most disappointing brands. This one had real peanuts, peanut butter, and was covered in delicious chocolate. It wasn’t as good as any of the other chocolate peanut butter bars I’ve tried, but I have pretty high standards (one might say snobby). It was better than a Power Bar, and better than the NuGo bars I have reviewed, but that really isn’t saying much, at least not enough in my book. This is the first bar I have reviewed that has any cholesterol, which isn’t inherently a bad thing as it could be good cholesterol (the label doesn’t specify). This bar also uses whey protein, which I am not the biggest fan of since it tends to be a cheap filler protein compared to other, better sources like almonds and hemp. At the same time, I am not vegan and love dairy so whey is not a problem for me but could be if you are vegan or whey intolerant. The Amazing Grass Chocolate Peanut Butter bar is also pretty nutrient dense with a good balance of nutrients, including lots of potassium.

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Protein Bar Review #23: Pure Bar Ancient Grains Peanut Butter Chocolate Bar

Posted: September 25, 2015 in Bike Culture, Burning Man, Cooking, Science
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Post 23 - Pure Bar Ancient Grains

Brand: Pure Bar

Product: Ancient Grains Peanut Butter Chocolate Bar

Weight: 1.23oz / 35g

Cost: $2.19/per from manufacturer

Stats

Calories: 160

Total Fat: 9g, Sat. Fat 1.5g

Cholesterol: 0g

Sodium: 65mg

Potassium: 135mg

Total Carb: 17g

Fiber: 2g

Sugars: 8g

Protein: 5g

Protein per ounce: 4.06g

Protein, Cost per gram: $0.44

Carb to Protein Ratio: 3.4-1

Vit A: 0% DV

Vit C: 0% DV

Calcium: 2% DV

Iron: 4% DV

Organic, non-GMO, gluten free, soy free, and vegan.

Flavor:

As awesome as the Chocolate Brownie bar was, is about as disappointing as this Peanut Butter Chocolate Bar tasted. I had pretty high hopes for Pure Bar after that protein-dense brownie bar rocked my world to its very core. While the taste and mouth-feel of the last bar were spot-on perfect for being a delicious brownie with some nutrients hidden away in the mix, this bar had a mouth-feel that reminded me of a dry granola bar that they tried to jazz up with some bits of chocolate.

The one major selling point to this bar is that it is physically the lightest weight/smallest bar I have reviewed. I’m not actually sure if that even is a selling point, since it is not the most nutrient dense (not by a long shot) meaning you’d be better off eating a piece of an Organic Food Bar or a 22 Days bar rather than ever trying this disappointment. That being said, the small size of this bar manages to give it a protein-density greater than the Pure Bar Chocolate Brownie, the Kit’s Organic Bar, and all of the Simple Squares. The carb-to-protein ratio is also right in the ideal window. But, the price per gram of protein here is the worst out of every bar I have reviewed, making this the worst buy so far.  This bar did have the lowest amount of sugar out of all the bars I have reviewed, making this ideal for anyone who is diabetic.

Protein Bar Review #22: 22 Days Coconut Chocolate Chip Protein Bar

Posted: September 17, 2015 in Bike Culture, Burning Man, Cooking, Science
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Hey readers, I am back from the Black Rock Desert and my third trip out to Burning Man. Now I can speak from experience as to which protein bars actually held up best in the intense desert heat (which was significantly less intense than previous years). I’ll be trying to settle back into my groove of 1-2 of these a week now that life has gone back to relative normalcy.

Post 22 - 22 Days Coconut Chocolate Chip

Brand: 22 Days

Product: Coconut & Chocolate Chip Protein Bar

Weight: 2.6oz / 75g

Cost: $2.99/per from manufacturer.

Stats

Calories: 290

Total Fat: 12g, Sat. Fat 4.5g

Cholesterol: 0g

Sodium: 5mg

Total Carb: 33g

Fiber: 12g

Sugars: 15g

Protein: 20g

Protein per ounce: 7.69g

Protein, Cost per gram: $0.15

Carb to Protein Ratio: 1.8-1

Vit A: 0% DV

Vit C: 2% DV

Calcium: 8% DV

Iron: 35% DV

Organic, plant based, vegan, non-GMO, soy free, gluten free.

Not made in gluten free facility.

Flavor:

It was faintly coconut tasting, not as strong as I would have liked but probably for the best since coconut can be one of those flavors where either you love it (like I do) or you hate it. The chocolate was definitely more of the central flavor in this bar and the overall flavor was quite pleasant. Like the other 22 Days bar I reviewed, the texture did remind me a bit of a power bar, really chewy but with a pleasant mouth feel. It did not have a shred of the dreaded chalky taste that typifies cheap protein; one of the major reasons I love this brand is they are entirely plant based without and cheap whey, wheat, or soy protein as fillers. The importance of this point cannot be overstated as most protein bars on the market are loaded with cheap filler proteins from China. Outside of the protein, there was a ton of iron, at 35% DV this would be the most iron-rich bar I have reviewed making it good for people who are iron deficient. This coconut protein bar manages to be even more nutrient dense than 22 Days peanut butter protein bar, not by much but by enough to be notable.

As I made note of in my first review on 22 Days Daily Mocha Mantra, 22 Days has some organic protein bars that pack 20 grams of protein into each bar. While they are a bit heftier than other bars by about half an ounce they still pack in more protein per ounce than anything else I have reviewed, even more than the Squarebar. These 22 Days bars still have the cheapest protein per gram cost at 15 cents a gram and the best density of any bar reviewed; at this point I doubt I will find anything better. While I did not bring any of this flavor with me to Burning Man, I did bring three other 22 Days bars and they all held up well (save for my walnut protein bar where it seemed that the factory seal didn’t hold in the heat, the bar still tasted great but it was kind of stale).

Protein Bar Review #18: NuGo Organic Dark Chocolate Pomegranate

Posted: July 12, 2015 in Bike Culture, Cooking, Science
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Post 18 - Nugo Organic Dark Chocolate Pomegranate

Brand: NuGo Organic

Product: Dark Chocolate Pomegranate

Weight: 1.76oz / 50g

Cost: $1.83/per  from manufacturer

Stats

Calories: 190

Total Fat: 5g, Sat. Fat 3g

Cholesterol: 0g

Sodium: 60mg

Total Carb: 26g

Fiber: 2g

Sugars: 16g

Protein: 10g

Protein per ounce: 5.68g

Protein, Cost per gram: $0.18

Carb to Protein Ratio: 2.6-1

Calcium: 2% DV

Iron: 4% DV

Organic, low fat, non-GMO, and vegan.

Not made in a gluten-free facility.

Flavor:

It tasted better than the last NuGo Organic bar I reviewed, but that really isn’t saying much. It was also better tasting than the last Amazing Grass bar I reviewed that tasted like spirulina disappointment. The flavor itself wasn’t terrible, but the mouth feel was atrocious, it felt like chewing on dried, kind of stale granola bar dipped in chocolate. It didn’t have the smoothness or depth of feel and flavor that the other bars I have been reviewing have had. it was better than your average non-organic bar but that really isn’t saying much. The saving grace of this brand is that that bars are cheap; mediocre, but cheap to fit that mediocrity. Nutritionally this bar brought next to nothing to the table other than protein, but the protein per ounce was pretty decent and better than many of the bars I have reviewed. From that perspective this bar might be worth buying, if you can handle the mediocre taste and mouth feel. Every one of those bars it out-proteined tasted *far* better than this bar, but still, this wasn’t the worst tasting of the bunch so it definitely is a better buy than some options. It would be a terrible choice for Burning Man as it was covered in chocolate and would melt into a liquid mess in the wrapper.

Protein Bar Review #16: Amazing Grass Green Superfood Chocolate Cherry Almond

Posted: July 7, 2015 in Bike Culture, Cooking, Science
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Post 16 - Amazing Grass Chocolate Cherry

Brand: Amazing Grass (Yup, they still don’t have a website)

Product: Green Superfood Chocolate Cherry Almond

Weight: 2.1oz / 60g

Cost: $2.49/per, online (not from manufacturer)

Stats

Calories: 240

Total Fat: 8g, Sat. Fat 3g

Cholesterol: 0g

Sodium: 50mg

Potassium: 190mg

Total Carb: 33g

Fiber: 4g

Sugars: 20g

Protein: 10g

Protein per ounce: 4.76g

Protein, Cost per gram: $0.25

Carb to Protein Ratio: 3.3-1

Vit A: 30% DV

Vit B12: 6% DV

Vit C: 10% DV

Vit K: 10% DV

Calcium: 4% DV

Iron: 10% DV

Organic, alkaline, gluten free, fair trade, non-GMO, and vegan.

Not made in a gluten-free facility.

Flavor:

I’m not sure if ‘Amazing Grass’ is meant to be a punny play-on-words for Amazing Grace, but there is absolutely nothing amazing or graceful about this bar. This thing tasted like stale spirulina covered in chocolate; at least it was covered in chocolate but that’s like putting a new paint job on the Titanic and calling it good. That is not going to cut when much better options exist for the same cost, or even lower cost per gram of protein, and when there are bars with a much better flavor. On that note, this bar had the most sugar out of any of the bars I have reviewed and still managed to taste awful; a lose-lose. If you’re going to have lots of sugar at least taste decent. Seriously, this bar is 7 grams of sugar away from a Snickers bar (Fun Fact: Snickers is the “protein bar” of candy bars, clocking in at 4 grams and 2.16g of protein per ounce). At least the last Amazing Grass bar I reviewed was merely “nothing spectacular or memorable,” if this one came even close to that I would be happy, instead I just want the bad taste out of my mouth.

This bar doesn’t even have the saving grace of being good for Burning Man; by being covered in chocolate it is the enemy in those kind of high-heat environments. By all measures, this bar is an utter failure. Save yourself $2.49 and pass on this one.

Protein Bar Review #15: Pure Bar Chocolate Brownie Bar

Posted: July 6, 2015 in Bike Culture, Burning Man, Cooking, Science
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Post 15 - Pure Bar Chocolate Brownie

Brand: Pure Bar

Product: Chocolate Brownie Bar

Weight: 1.7oz / 48g

Cost: $2.19/per from manufacturer

Stats

Calories: 190

Total Fat: 8g, Sat. Fat 1g

Cholesterol: 0g

Sodium: 5mg

Potassium: 250mg

Total Carb: 26g

Fiber: 4g

Sugars: 18g

Protein: 6g

Protein per ounce: 3.53g

Protein, Cost per gram: $0.37

Carb to Protein Ratio: 4.33-1

Vit A: 0% DV

Vit C: 0% DV

Calcium: 2% DV

Iron: 8% DV

Organic, non-GMO, gluten free, soy free, and vegan.

Not made in a gluten free facility.

Flavor:

Sometimes labels can be deceiving, not the case here. I read chocolate brownie bar and I was worried it might taste like failure, but I could feel a brownie-like texture through the package and those fears dissipated. Honestly, it was so delicious I totally forgot to take a photo of it until after eating it. It tasted like a brownie and had the mouth feel of a brownie, but it had more nutrients than a brownie which was awesome. Like the Simple Squares, the Pure Bar has very few ingredients, clocking in at only 7. The ingredients were similar to the Kit’s Organic Bar I reviewed the other day, but with a much, much better taste.

The complete lack of meltable chocolate makes this an ideal bar for bringing along to Burning Man, especially since it manages to really taste like a chocolatey brownie. The protein ratio isn’t amzing, the price per protein isn’t amazing, but it has a good amount of potassium and besides, the flavor is AMAZING. I wouldn’t hesitate to say this might be the most delicious bar I have reviewed.

[100th Post] Hey everyone, this is my 100th post on this blog. Just wanted to thank you all for reading my blog! Here is looking at 100 more posts!

Protein Bar Review #12: 22 Days Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip Protein Bar

Posted: July 2, 2015 in Bike Culture, Burning Man, Cooking, Science
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_MG_6676

Brand: 22 Days

Product: PB & Chocolate Chip Nirvana

Weight: 2.6oz / 75g

Cost: $2.99/per from manufacturer.

Stats

Calories: 280

Total Fat: 10g, Sat. Fat 2.5g, Poly Unsaturated 2.5g, Mono Unsat. 6.5%

Cholesterol: 0g

Sodium: 0mg

Total Carb: 36g

Fiber: 10g

Sugars: 17g

Protein: 20g

Protein per ounce: 7.69g

Protein, Cost per gram: $0.15

Carb to Protein Ratio: 1.8-1

Vit A: 0% DV

Vit C: 2% DV

Calcium: 4% DV

Iron: 35% DV

Fair Trade organic, plant based, vegan, non-GMO, soy free, gluten free, Natural Food Certified, Produced with Solar Energy.

Not made in gluten free facility.

Flavor:

You might look at this and think it will be your standard, boring, peanut butter chocolate protein bar. If you do think that prepare to be totally wrong. This is what CLIF bars wishes it tasted like and what Power Bar wishes it could power up to be. The texture did remind me a bit of a power bar, really chewy but with a pleasant mouth feel. It did not have a shred of the dreaded chalky taste that typifies cheap protein; one of the major reasons I love this brand is they are entirely plant based without and cheap whey, wheat, or soy protein as fillers. The importance of this point cannot be overstated as most protein bars on the market are loaded with cheap filler proteins from China. Outside of the protein, there was a ton of iron, at 35% DV this would be the most iron-rich bar I have reviewed making it good for people who are iron deficient.

As I made note of in my first review on 22 Days Daily Mocha Mantra, 22 Days has some organic protein bars that pack 20 grams of protein into each bar. While they are a bit heftier than other bars by about half an ounce they still pack in more protein per ounce than anything else I have reviewed, even more than the Squarebar. Amazingly, these bars also have the cheapest protein per gram cost at 15 cents a gram. For the great flavor and nutrient density at the best price, I may have found my new go-to protein bar; at least when I don’t want coffee with my protein. I would totally bring this to Burning Man as well, the chocolate was mixed into the peanut butter base and I would not expect this to get melty in the desert sun.

Protein Bar Review #10: NuGo Organic Dark Chocolate Almond

Posted: June 29, 2015 in Bike Culture, Cooking, Science
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_MG_6672

Brand: NuGo Organic

Product: Dark Chocolate Almond

Weight: 1.76oz / 50g

Cost: $1.83/per  from manufacturer

Stats

Calories: 190

Total Fat: 5g, Sat. Fat 3.5g

Cholesterol: 0g

Sodium: 60mg

Total Carb: 26g

Fiber: 3g

Sugars: 13g

Protein: 10g

Protein per ounce: 5.68g

Protein, Cost per gram: $0.18

Carb to Protein Ratio: 2.6-1

Calcium: 2% DV

Iron: 4% DV

Organic, low fat, non-GMO, and vegan.

Not made in a gluten-free facility.

Flavor:

It had chocolate and almonds and was kind of chewy, but mostly a mess of nuts inside of a chocolate shell. It should have been tasty, it had potential, but it was really quite dry and that was rather unfortunate. It could be that this particular bar just wasn’t that good, which is why I have another flavor of NuGo bar picked out for another review later on down the road. It was low fat, which is nice if that is a concern for you. It also was pretty high in protein compared to most other bars I have reviewed so far, but it didn’t come close to the Squarebar Cocoa Crunch in terms of protein per ounce. The only saving grace was that this had the cheapest protein cost out of any bar reviewed so far, making this the budget option. Otherwise, it was mediocre compared to the Squarebar and 22Days in all ways possible. Outside of protein, the NuGo Organic bar had pretty much no nutrients; no vitamins, and only trace amounts of calcium and iron (on par with a bottle of mineral water). I doubt I will ever get this brand again after this review, but perhaps the second NuGo bar will wow me.

Cannabinoid Profile – Anandamide

Posted: August 11, 2014 in Cannabis, Science
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See an updated version of this post on The Leaf Online,Cannabinoid Profile – Anandamide!

Formula: C22H37 NO2

Molecular Mass: 347.53468 g/mol

Decarboxylation Point: ????

Boiling Point: ????

LD50 (Lethal Dose): Currently Unknown for humans, 100mg/kg for mice  (Compare to Nicotine: for mice – 3mg/kg,  for humans – 40–60 mg/kg)

First isolated in 1992, Anandamide is a neurotransmitter and endo-cannbinoid, a cannabinoid produced within the body. Anandamide, also known as N-Arachidonoylethanolamine or AEA, is  an endogenous cannabinoid that acts as a “key” molecule fitting into the “locks” of the CB1 and CB2 receptors around the body. It’s name is taken from the Sanskrit word ananda, which means bliss, and the word amide. An amide is a type of acid found within the body. Anandamide is the bliss amide, though it is more widely called the bliss compound (not to be confused with the spirit molecule, DMT). Very appropriate to the Sanskrit origins of it’s name, anandamide has been shown to be boosted by doing yoga, which may explain why those yogis are so calm and blissful all the time.
Anandamide can be thought of as the body’s version of THC, it has many of the same therapeutic effects and if it wasn’t for the presence of anandamide in the body we wouldn’t have the CB1 and CB2 receptors that all cannabinoids interact with. Anandamide doesn’t exist solely in the human body. Outside of the body this endo-cannabinoid can be found in chocolate. Next time you’re enjoying a chocolate bar allow that anandamide to jog your memory, and enjoy those sweet cannabinoids.

Therapeutic Uses

Analgesic – Relieves pain.

Angiogenic – Causes new blood vessels to form from pre-existing blood vessels.

Anti-inflammatory – Reduces inflammation systemically.

Anti-Proliferative – Inhibits cancer cell growth.

Anxiolytic – Relieves anxiety.

Euphoriant – Produces feelings of euphoria, promotes happiness and relaxation.

Neurogenic – Promotes the growth of new brain cells. Specifically within the Hippocampus, an area of the brain responsible for memory and spatial awareness (just like CBD).

 

The Metabolism of Anandamide

Currently Being Studied For

Angiogenesis: Anandamide is unique among cannabinoids for its ability to cause blood cells to split and form new blood cells. This is known as angiogenesis and proper functioning is crucial to fighting off the spread of cancer due to the necessity of oxygen, nutrients, and bodily waste removal that come with it.
Anxiety: Anandamide, like THC, has been shown to reduce anxiety. This 2009 study, while done on mice, still sheds plenty of light on the mechanisms that AEA uses to reduce mental stress and anxiety in those experiencing it.
Cancer: As early as 1998, Anandamide had been identified as an anti-proliferative compound. This means that, like most cannabinoids, Anandamide helps slow the growth and spread of cancerous cells. Specifically the 1998 study looked at its role in inhibiting the proliferation of breast cancer cells. A more recent study from 2007 showed that AEA not only suppressed the growth of tumors it also spurred the formation of new blood cells. If that wasn’t enough Anandamide also induces COX-2-dependant cell death, a type of apoptosis that helps control the growth of cancerous cells. Specifically, AEA was found to do this in apoptosis resistant colon-cancer cells.
Memory Consolidation: Anandamide has been shown to boost in memory consolidation, a process where things in the short term memory get transferred into the long term memory. This gives Anandamide a very unique and important role in allowing people to function normally and to build on their prior knowledge, rather than having to relearn the same things constantly. You can think of memory consolidation as a fancy way to say learning. This same study emphasized the anti-anxiety effects of AEA.