A little over a month ago, I decided to go meatless. While that has been a roller coaster experience, it has led to me to frequent trips to a local vegan/vegetarian store here in Hawaii: Down to Earth. Think Whole Foods but specializing in more local and no meats.
One particular trip, I was strolling down the aisles hoping to find some miracle product for anything (hair, skin, weight loss, whatever). I stumbled across Green Superfood and decided to browse a few of their products since I was somewhat familiar with them from my deployment weight loss days.
After initially just trying out a few of their single serve packs of the Alkalize & Detox, I returned to pick up a few more of their products. Which brings me to the Energy Lemon Lime and my new obsession with it.
Now before you rush out to buy this product, I have to be honest. This is not your typical energy powder. It doesn't fizz, it doesn't taste fruity, and it doesn't even look or smell appealing. But it does give you the energy with out the sugary guilt.
Energy Lemon Lime has two main ingredients for it's energy blend: organic yerba mate extract and matcha green tea. In the middle of my research for this post I did find a disturbing review on the Amazing Grass website that I was a bit disheartened by to say the least. It was in reference to the to the yerba mate extract.
Yerba mate is an infusion of leaves from a South American shrub of the holly family. It is high in caffeine and bitter. According to the Guayaki Brand, it has the "strength of coffee, the health benefits of tea, and the euphoria of chocolate."
"The leaves of the rainforest mate tree naturally contain 24 vitamins and minerals, 15 amino acids, abundant antioxiadants. In fact, the Pasteur Institute and the Paris Scientific society in 1964 concluded 'it is difficult to find a plant in any area of the world equal to mate in nutritional value' and that yerba mate contains 'practically all of the vitamins necessary to sustain life.'"
Sounds amazing, right? So why would someone post a review that says such a beneficial plant can cause cancer? After my initial disappointment, I just shrugged it off because now a days it seems like everything causes cancer according to one study or another. However, I at least wanted to provide my readers with more than my uneducated opinions.
I checked out the link listed in the review, which directed me to the Guayaki Brand. Basically it seems that the cancer beliefs are more based on environmental factors and processing methods.
Since Guayaki sells yerba mate products, I felt their answer may be a bit biased. So I searched for other creditable sources and found that the research was a bit all over the place. Some sites stated that other factors in the consumer may cause the cancer such as drinking and (not surprisingly) smoking. Another study said that it could even disrupt colon cancer cells. I will link the sites at the bottom of the post.
Once you get passed the cancer scares of the first energy blend ingredient, you are left with the less scary matcha green tea.
If you don't know what matcha green tea is, well the explanation is less menacing. Matcha is named for the processing of the tea. It is a finely ground powder of specially grown and processed green tea.
Despite the cancer drama, I still think this is a great product. I feel the effects relatively quickly and no crash. It is a nice change up from my usual coffee in the morning (I can never give up coffee).
As far as price is concerned, it is all a matter of opinion in terms of it being expensive or not. I got the 30 serving container on sale for about $23. Which given the fact that I paid roughly $1.80 for the single serve, that is a good deal. Plus, I pay $2+ for a RedBull and always crash afterwards. So what do you think is better?
If you don't live in Hawaii, I know that the Amazing Grass brand is sold at Whole Foods. So go check it out. Gives energy, supports immune and digestive health, vegan, gluten free, and no gmos......sounds like a winner to me.
Disclaimer:
I do not plan to drink this every day. With all the studies, it seems like with any caffeinated product that moderation is key. While I am happy to recommend this product to friends, I do believe in the power of doing your own research and finding what is best for you and your body.
The Energy Lemon Lime Mixed with Just Water
Brand New Container of the 30 Servings
The Scooper That is Included
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