Open Letter to Runner's World on Carbs

Dear Runner's World,

                I love you. Seriously. Your magazine is fantastic. It has this amazing energy to it that I feel really helps keep me thinking about running, loving running, and helping others with their entry into and sustained practice of running. You have some excellent feature pieces (NYC Marathon, Shalane and Kara, Pre, etc), really enjoyable regular columns (I love "Ask Miles" and Marc Parent's "Newbie Chronicles"), and just a great attitude to the magazine that is so crucial in feeding a runner's passion.

But, my friend, it isn't all love. I know all the talk for runners is about carbs, and you do an admirable job helping dispel the myth that you can or should eat loads of carbs pre-race. However, I read all of your recipes and nutrition advice, and I see a consistent theme of fewer calories, less fat, less protein and more carbs, and it disturbs me. Protein is the fuel of muscles. Carbs is the fuel of short bursts of energy and fat storage.  Runners aren't usually associated with fat stored on the body, but there are tons of runners who don't 'look like runners', and should really be focusing on diets higher in protein and veggies and lower in carbs.  The truth is, you don't need carbs in the quantities your recipes suggest, and you certainly don't need the added sugar that keeps popping up in every recipe, from honey to straight sugar - especially when many of your recipes already have fruit in them.

I have been following a Slow Carb diet for a few years now, and have much higher energy and endurance than I've ever had.  I also have lower body fat than ever before despite eating materially more fat on a daily basis than I ever did.  I coach others in the same path, and their results are similar.  Protein can be a better fuel than carbohydrates, and doesn't run the risk of turning to fat if you don't use it. Nor is it too rapidly digested, so you don't need to reach for it again and again like you do with an energy gel to avoid bonking. Nor does it run the risk of creating insulin resistance, which means you are more likely to store carbs as fat, which will make you produce more insulin, which will make you more insulin resistant, and the circle starts over again.

Using the right protein in the right way is a far better solution than fueling with carbs. For me, it's getting whey protein for shorter runs and post-workout; or using casein for longer runs (eat some cottage cheese, for example).  Starting your day with a high protein breakfast has proven to spark fat burning throughout the day, and keep you feeling fuller longer than carb breakfasts.

Another theme I've noticed is anti-gluten-free diets for non-gluten-intollerant people. You have articles that essentially tell people to watch out if they're considering going GF and warn about the risks due to giving up whole grains. People didn't eat whole grains for thousands of years, and yet we're all here today, so it can't be as crucial as the FDA tells us.  You downplay the benefits experienced by those who go GF by explaining the improved general energy and wellness as merely due to cutting out processed foods. How do you know that? What about all those who eat whole foods including gluten, go GF, and then get that increased energy and general wellness improvement?  I'm in that boat, as is my wife and many others around us.  I also know people who are GF yet eat plenty of processed food, but still feel much better overall and have fewer gastric issues.


I don't mean to knock you. Really. I just want to ask you to start to open up to the non-1970s/1980s medicine that pervades our dietary advice. It's the same stuff that insists that 'calories in < calories out -> lose weight', despite evidence that this isn't the case. It's the same stuff that leads to 'a shake for breakfast, a shake for lunch, and a sensible dinner' being the definition of 'diet' for most Americans, rather than what we eat day in, day out.

If magazines could read, I'd recommend that you read "Why We Get Fat" by Gary Taubes. I wrote a book review of it here. Since you can't read, I advise you to interview Taubes and see what he thinks about his findings and advice relative to the needs of a runner.

Let's get smarter about nutrition. Let's look at real facts. Let's help people get to a better place. Let's help people enlighten.their.body.

Sincerely,
Bryan Falchuk

Recipe: Egg & Gluten Free Baked Zucchini Crisp

I have been trying to think of creative dishes to make for my family that are gluten free, dairy free and egg free.  Something that is wonderful to have discovered is the wealth of GF flours out there - my favorites being coconut flour and almond flour.  The coconut flour has a great taste, but it doesn't substitute well for all-purpose flour - something in how it mixes and stuff.  I dunno, I'm not a baker.  Almond flour does much better.  Garbanzo flour works better, as does Buckwheat flour, but they both have strong tastes.  Bob's Red Mill has a huge selection.

That said, the trick has always been how to get it to bind - for example when breading chicken breast with it.  Eggs work like magic, but I am trying to avoid them in my cooking due to some allergies I'm working around (not for me, but one of the people I'm cooking for).  I've learned of flax eggs, and have tried those.  They're great, but don't see to work with breading.  Why?  Unlike an egg, flax eggs don't solidify when heated.  They're more like gluey stuff than anything.

So, this recipe came together almost by accident, but it's fantastic, and I have to share it.  It was my attempt at making zucchini latkes (since potatoes are out for me and my wife's diet, and I'd rather give my son something more nutritious than white starch).  I made the mixture below, tried to fry it but failed.  What I came up with instead is so much better than the latkes would have been.  My mistake is your benefit...and my wife's, who loves this stuff.

Ingredients

• 4-6 zucchini (I prefer organic), peeled and grated, then pressed in a strainer to get as much water out as possible - the more the better
• 2 flax eggs (each egg is: grind 1 table spoon of flax seeds and add 1 table spoon of water, stir, let sit and thicken, stirring occasionally - don't hesitate to add a touch more water until it has almost (but slightly thicker) the consistency of a raw, beaten egg) 
• 1-2 tablespoons of minced garlic - go with your taste preference
• 1-1.5 cups of almond flour (the amount will depend on how much zucchini you use, and how wet it is)
• Seasoning to taste per your preference (I used turmeric and sea salt, chopped cilantro, and would also throw in a touch of cayenne if this was just for me and not my wife and 4 year old)

Directions

• Mix all the ingredients together in a large bowl, really working it through with your hands so there are no areas of flour or flax egg bunched up, nor any zucchini left out of getting coated
• Spread onto a cookie sheet with some tin foil that you lightly coated with olive oil (this is healthier than using a Teflon coated cookie sheet, but do as you like); spread it so that it isn't too thick across or high/deep, this will ensure it gets crisped throughout. A trick I figured out was to leave a gap in the middle so you get more 'edges'.
• Bake at 400 for 15 minutes, and check on it.
• Keep baking until it's got a nice brown color around the edges, and has started to get more golden throughout. This will vary by oven, cookie sheet, thickness of the spread, etc. The first time I made it, it took 20 minutes.  The second time took 27.
• There's no such thing as over or under cooked. You aren't using raw egg, so there's zero health risk to undercooking, so you're really going for the level of crisp that you want. That said, crispier is better.  If you like it less crispy, you're wrong. Stick it back in and cook it longer. :)

That's it. This is such a fortuitous mistaken discovery. Enjoy, and make your own cooking attempts, failures and triumphs as you enlighten.your.body.

Review: Merrell Run Barefoot Bare Access 2

The buildup
After finding the ultimate replacement for my Vibram SeeYa's in the Merrell Vapor Glove from their M-Connect line, I had some issues that meant I needed some more padding underfoot, as discussed in my recent review of the Vapor Glove (read it here: Review: Merrell Barefoot Run Vapor < Barefoot Run Access 2).

I picked the yellow ones since they looked similar to the yellow in a lot of my Skins compression clothing, and close to what I use in the newbodi.es logo. More on that later.

What it is & how it works
This is the second-most minimalist member of Merrell's M-Connect line, and an update to the Bare Access (hence the number 2 in its name),  The shoe supposedly breaths, but I found my feet getting hot, especially with any socks on. You can also wash it, which is good considering the heat issue I noticed, and it's very light for its structure.  I'm used to shoes that feel far more flexible and unstructured, so this shoe is surprisingly light to me.  It has laces, but, like most of the M-Connect shoes I've tried, I found they're helpful but the fit still isn't glove-like around where my foot and ankle meet.  In other M-Connects (like the Sonic Glove), this has been a problem, but not here or with the Vapor Glove.  The shoe sort of bows out at the sides of the collar, but it doesn't really matter. I don't feel unstable or like there's slop.

The shoe comes in a lot of colors (black, two whites, blue, green, yellow, etc), and has a good, wide toe box - a must for minimalist runners.  I've really come to feel my toes constrained in most shoes, and fell in love with the space the Vapor Gloves and Bare Access gave my toes.  The Vapor Gloves stretch a little better, but these are still great.

The sole is made of a very thin piece of Vibram rubber mounted to a foam cushion layer.  The shoe is zero drop, but has a 13-14mm stack height (I see conflicting reports online).

My impressions
When I put them on, it was immediately the most firm shoe I'd worn to run in for a long time, and the arch support was noticeable.  These two things really concerned me.  I've been reading a lot of shoe reviews lately, and have learned that things you noticed when standing or walking don't necessarily get noticed when you're running.  Since this is a running shoe, I reserved judgement.

I'm glad I did.  As soon as I started running, I felt zero issue with flexibility, and didn't have any sensation of an overly intruding arch design.  I don't have high arches, so I'd be more sensitive to this than most people, and I had no issue.

The shoe's cushioning was firm but good enough to eliminate any of the pain I was getting with the Vapor Glove.  All in all, I really liked the shoe. It will be a tough contender for my top shoe vs the Adipure Gazelle. There are signs that this will surpass the Gazelle, though, as I find the Gazelle to be getting sloppy as it ages.  The upper is a sort of spandex-like material, so you can imagine it would stretch out and lose elasticity.  The Bare Access isn't made of this kind of material, and the cushion seems denser, so I'd imagine it will resist wearing down while the upper resists stretching out.  I'm expecting the Bare Access at 50 miles to be noticeably better than the Gazelle is at 50 miles.

My depressions
My only issue so far is the color.  It isn't yellow (or "sulphur", as Merrell calls it).  It looks nothing like the pictures.  It's more of a fluorescent yellow-green.  It's that sort of 'safety neon yellow' you see a lot of night running jackets in.  It's the shade Nike uses for their SportWatch and Nathan offers for it's ID bracelet.  It's not bad, but it's nothing like I expected.  I should have wised up with I saw City Sports refer to it as "Lime".  It's not quite lime green, but it's definitely a more accurate description than yellow or sulphur.  Think "lime juice".  Incidentally, City Sports describes that shade on the SportWatch "Lime".  At least they're being honest and consistent.

Since I have an all "Lime" (or "Volt", as Nike calls it) SportWatch, these ended up matching my absurdly bright wrist accessory perfectly.  Still, I would have preferred actual yellow.  If I was to buy them again, I think I'd get the gray and orange, or maybe the white with black and red.

To buy or not to buy
I wouldn't pause on recommending these to anyone. They're a great first minimalist running shoe, but also great for the experienced minimalist who wants something with a bit of cushion in their arsenal.  At $90, they're not cheap, but no shoes are anymore, and, unfortunately, $90 is becoming 'cheap' for brand-name shoes.  You can get the Barefoot Run Bare Access 2 at Amazon in all of their myriad colors, and do check out the Ladies versions if you're not a dude. They have some great color options in the women's model.

I haven't totally decided yet, but these are a very strong contender to be my shoe of choice during my upcoming 5K race.  I wanted to run in the Vapor Gloves, but there's too much liability with those right now. The other contender is yet to be run in and yet to be reviewed - the ugly but enticing Adidas Adipure Adapt (they finally came out with a cool color combo...at least to me - yellow and black) - stay tuned.

I'm a firm believer in minimalist running, and to work toward using as minimal a shoe as you can.  These don't look like that shoe, but they run much more minimal than they look. As my own struggles to get back to a more pure shoe prove, it's ok to take your time when getting in touch with your inner Chi runner while you enlighten.your.body.

Review: Merrell Barefoot Run Vapor < Barefoot Run Access 2

The buildup
So, I have been running in Vibram Seeya's for a while now.  By "a while", I mean, "off and on."  I ran exclusively in them when I first got into running in 2012, but have used them far less since getting back into running after each of my last two surgeries.  I had a couple of reasons for that, mainly that I found I was getting more blistering on my soles and sides of my feet than with other minimalist shoes I run in (see this blog post: Review: Adidas Adipure Gazelle Running Shoe).

I wanted something truly minimalist (no padding), but no toe pockets and no strapping that might lead to some of the blisters the SeeYa's gave me.  I saw Merrell announce the Vapor Glove, and I was like, "that's exactly what I'm looking for."

What it is & how it works
The most minimalist member of Merrell's M-Connect line ever, The Vapor Glove is a truly minimalist

shoe in its lack of padding, lack of real structure to the upper, super light weight, and extra flexibility.  You can roll the shoe up.  You can also wash it, it breathes like crazy, and it's unbelievably light.  It has laces, but, like most of the M-Connect shoes I've tried, I found they're helpful but the fit still isn't glove-like around where my foot and ankle meet.  In other M-Connects (like the Sonic Glove), this has been a problem, but not here.

The shoe comes in a variety of colors (orange, red, green/blue, dark gray), and has a good, wide toe box - a must for minimalist runners.  I've really come to feel my toes constrained in most shoes, and fell in love with the space the Vapor Gloves gave my toes.

The sole is made of a very thin and extremely flexible piece of Vibram rubber.  Like I said, it can roll up really easily, and I don't mean how you can 'roll' a pair of Nike Frees.  I mean, you can roll the shoe up over itself.  They're awesome to travel with since you can sneak them in any corner of your bag or clip them to the outside of your bag without noticing they're there or swinging around.

My impressions

I really like this shoe, and love running in it.  According to my Nike+ account, I've put 17 miles on them, almost all of which has been in Boston around the Harbor on the great Harborside path there.  They provide excellent road feel (probably within 5% of what my SeeYa's give me), have the right balance of grip without being problematically sticky, and really can sort of disappear on your feet.  They can be worn with or without socks, and I've tried them both ways.  I think I need a little time to adjust to them without socks, but it's clearly better.  Therein lies my issue...

My depressions
For whatever reason, no matter what sock I run in with these, I find my feet feeling raw and like I've been running on sandpaper starting around mile 1.5.  That's way too early to have issues like that.  I've tried CEP and Zoots compression socks, Swiftwick anti-blister socks, Nike Dri-Fit anti-blister socks, Adidas climacool socks, running socks from The Clymb (awesome site, by the way - check it out) and all end up in the same boat.  I did 1 mile barefoot on a treadmill, and found they were better than with socks, but still not perfect.  My last 3.5 miler had me stopping at the 2.5 mile mark to take off my socks because I couldn't go on.  The finish was better, but the damage was done.  It took me 3 days to not have so much burning in the skin of my soles to be able to run.  And there were no explicit blisters, so there was nothing to pop or treat and get over.

Additionally, and I can't fault the Vapor Gloves for this, but I've had some serious pain in my right foot during and after running with them.  I'm still getting through rebuilding my left leg after my knee surgery, so I know my gait isn't ideal, and I'm sure that's why my right foot is giving me trouble.  I've had extreme pain at the base of my Achilles' (painful to the touch), and the outstep of my foot felt like something was broken in it, with sharp snapping pain and extreme stiffness.

I'm working through both (amazing Physical Therapist at JointVentures), and, like I said, I don't really blame the shoe.  However, using such a minimalist shoe wasn't a good idea for me yet, so in a sense it is the shoe's fault, though not a design issue.  More my issue for choosing it just yet.

This is so strange for me since I started running with the SeeYa's and had no issues.  I've only had issues when getting back into running.  I'm sure once I'm really at 100% of my minimalist game, and my feet are strong enough, these will be awesome...if I can figure out what to do about the sandpaper feeling.

To buy or not to buy
This is a tough one.  If you want a real minimalist shoe, don't want to look like you're wearing gloves on your feet and don't want to go full throttle and rock huaraches, then I can't recommend this shoe enough.  If you're not sure about having no padding at all, or wonder if your feet, calves, ankles, etc are ready for a true minimalist run, then hold off.

My intention was to use these for my upcoming 5K (and 3.5 mile JPMorgan Corporate Challenge race 3 weeks later).  I would still love to given how light and responsive they are, but I'm just not sure I trust them for me at the moment.  Maybe in a few months, but not in less than a month.  I'm just hoping my foot recovers from what's already happened in these shoes in time for my race!

The shoes are $80, which is pretty competitive for their space.  Unlike some companies, Merrell charges less as the level of build-up of the shoe decreases (e.g. the next shoe up in the M-Connect line in terms of how built-up it is would be the Barefoot Run Bare Access 2, which costs $10 more).  You can get the Vapor Glove at Amazon for more or less, depending on color.  Personally, I am also testing the Bare Access 2, and prefer them - at least right now.  That said, there's little benefit apparent to me yet of the Bare Access 2 over the Adidas Adipure Gazelle, which has been my favorite shoe so far.  I say, "yet," because I have only put 3.4 miles on the Bare Access, and I have about 50 on my Gazelles.

I'm a firm believer in minimalist running.  It's the only way I've been able to really love every stride, and see running as something love and long to do. Running minimalist has been the best way that I've found to enlighten.your.body.

Review: Rüez Boxer Briefs

The build up

So I reviewed Rüez briefs recently, and really appreciate them when running.  I appreciate them even more when I don't have them as it reminds me just how much the extra support enhances the enjoyment of my run.  I was curious to try their boxer brief, too, though with a bit of trepidation as I'm not generally a fan of that style of underwear as I always feel like they ride up on my legs.

What it is & how it works

I won't go into the whole idea of Rüez, but would instead suggest you read my original review.  In a nutshell, they have a pouch (hence their name, which is pronounced like the second half of 'kangaroos') that you put your, um, personal stuff in via a hole you fit that stuff through.  What stuff?  Well, um...your, um...junk. Bits. Peas and carrot.  Frank and beans. OK, that's enough of that - you get my point.

I'll say that, for background, I'm a boxer guy when I'm not working out, so understand that whatever I'm saying here about the boxer brief vs the brief isn't because I'm used to one of those over the other on a daily basis. I'm not used to either, and don't normally wear those styles day-in-day-out.

My impressions

So, the boxer brief works very much the same as the brief, and fits like a boxer brief.  I didn't find that they rode up too much or were too uncomfortable.  This goes for wearing them around, working out or running.  As I said about the briefs, the material is really comfy and stays nice and cool.

My depressions

While they were fine, I didn't find them to do their job during a run. That's not to say they were bad, but just not delivering on the whole point of their existence.  The reason, to me, was because the way boxer briefs fit makes the whole end up too big, and not contouring to your body like it would in a brief. As a result, things (you know, things) kept going back out of the pouch into the main part of the boxer. That's why I say they're fine - they're no worse or less comfortable than another pair of sport boxer briefs, and I'd say I really enjoyed them when looking at them like that.  I just didn't quite get the added support during runs that I expected when I decided to wear Rüez.

To buy or not to buy

So this is the only question that ever matters. To me, this is a great - and I do mean great - product for working out in a gym or doing things that don't have the jarring of running.  That is, I'd use them for weight lifting, using cardio equipment (not a treadmill, though, for obvious reasons) or maybe playing golf, though I don't play golf.  I would not choose them for running, playing basketball, football, etc where I would personally miss the great way the briefs really keep me supported and comfortable.

If you're interested, you can buy Rüez online at http://www.ruezunderwear.com/shop.html. They run pretty true to size, and have outstanding customer support. I really do love their products, and recommend them to active guys. Just get the right one for the right use, and enlighten.your.body.

Review: Rüez Performance Briefs for Dudes

The build up

Hmmm...how to get into this post without embarrassing myself too much or running out of ways to say words drunk people dare each other to shout louder and louder at parties or public places that rhymes with cleanest and meanest (for the Naughty by Nature fans from 1991 out there).

So I'm reviewing a product that I learned about from Believe in the Run, a great product review blog I highly recommend.  The product, Rüez performance underwear, won their "Best In Gear" (or "BIG") award.  After trying it out myself, I see why.

For fun, let's see if you can count the euphemisms in this review.  They will help you laugh and keep this blog from being too NSFW.

I have been personally looking for a solution to holding my bits and pieces stable while running, especially since my hernia surgery last June as I find I'm much more sensitive now.

What it is & how it works

The idea is basically like a sports bra for men. Only you wear it down there. Yeah, there. It's a brief orboxer brief made for athletes that features a hole you pass your skis and bindings through like in the backseat of a car. Um, the skis were the euphemism, not the backseat part. OK, just making sure you were following my meaning here.  There's then a pouch in front of the hole that is the reason these things are called Rüez, and pronounced, "Roos," like kangaroos. Get it?  A pouch. In fact, it's not just a pouch, it's more technical than that - it's called a, "Performance Pouch."  By passing your business through the hole, they are held securely, keeping them from jiggling too much, getting injured, or sticking to your leg or something.

There's also a pocket on the side of the boxer (coming to the brief soon) for a credit card, hotel room key, a little cash, etc. I have no interest in this since my running shorts have pockets, I run with a water bottle that has a pocket and my iPhone arm band can hold stuff, too.  Still, good thinking.

Some of you may be thinking this is irrelevant. You're either female, don't exercise, are young or you don't know better. This is a product you either know you need and appreciate the concept, or you don't even realize how much nicer it is to use this until you try it.

My impressions

I decided to try the brief given my post-op issue and desire for as much support as possible.  I'd imagine the boxer brief would be essentially as supportive since the things I want supported would still be slipping through a hole and tucked into their pouch.

I found the material to be very comfortable. It's kind of a mix of spandex and cotton feelings, and is a quick-wicking fabric. It's actually 85% polyester/15% spandex, but the poly has to be of a really high quality for the product to feel the way it does. It felt this way even after both washings I put them through - some products feel nice at first, but immediately change when you wash them. Not Rüez. They're quality.  As for the wicking claim, I definitely got sweaty on my run, but they weren't soaked the way my Adidas performance brief typically are.

Speaking of my Adidas briefs, that's been my go-to solution so far, and it's ok, but not ideal. I found the things don't stay close to my legs and ride too low. As a result, they don't quite give the support I was looking for.  The Rüez had no trouble in this regard. They stayed wrapped around my legs, and adding that to the pouch meant I was well-supported.  And by, "I," I mean, "my junk".

I wore them from about 7am through my run to about 2pm. They were really comfortable, and my run was definitely much more comfortable. I wasn't going, "Oh my god, this is incredible. My boys are staying tight and comfy with each stride!"  I wasn't shouting to random people on the street as I breezed by them. I also didn't set a PR pace or anything (my knee is actually acting up, so I took it somewhat easy, though did do my longest distance since my knee surgery in December).

What did happen was that I wasn't ever aware of any discomfort during or after my run. I wasn't sore later down there. These may not sound big, but they are. This is what I was looking for. Rüez definitely delivered 100% on my expectations.  Kool and the Gang were cool.

Speaking of cool, the founder of Rüez, Chris Varney, is awesome. He's extremely responsive, very thorough, and really funny. He created the product out of his own need (great story on their site), and actively uses them in his own running.  He gets it. He lives it. That totally puts him in a better position to create this product and run the business than someone just looking to make a buck. And I love his customer service. Chris - if you're reading this, you're awesome. Don't change.

The best thing he said was in answering my question on how exactly to use the product (they include a small image, but it wasn't totally clear to me if everything goes through the hole, just the twig, or just the berries). He wrote back within about 20 minutes of me submitting a question online, and said "Jim and the twins all go into the urban condo." I suppose in his line of work, you need to be funny, but that was just awesome. Definitely better than my played out 'twig and berries' line.

Of course, my wife couldn't believe I sent in an email saying "twig and berries," so Chris's response saved me a little at home. She also found a NSFW video on YouTube on what to do which had a blue fake wenis attached to spandex pants demonstrating the product. I much preferred reading Chris's response to seeing the video (though it was helpful. And disturbing. Very disturbing.) No, I won't provide a link to it. I'm too nice of a guy to do that to you.

My depressions

I have literally one complaint, and I wonder if the boxer brief would have been better for me (though I generally don't like boxer briefs - I feel like they're always riding up my legs).  I found that - at least for the first hour - I was aware of some bunching of material between my legs back behind my business. Sorry, try not to imagine it.  It just seems like the material of the brief is a touch too wide between the legs, and so it creates a little ripple of fabric when you wear it.  I wouldn't say I was aware of it at all during the run, nor most of the day. Either it broke down, I got used to it, or a little of the two.

I think this is an issue with the design that might be impossible to avoid. Ultimately, you've got two independent sheets of material (one for the main brief that has a hole cut it in, and then one for the pouch), and they get joined at a seem between the legs (like most briefs have). It's probably the case that some rippling sensation would happen no matter how narrow this area is, and being too narrow would mean insufficient support.  I'd just imagine a tiny bit narrower would help.

Then again, I have no experience or knowledge of underwear design, so maybe this is an industry standard width that's based on millions of years of collective wearing and designing. Seriously, millions - tons of guys wearing undies for years and years. And I am a boxer guy, so what the heck do I know about brief design. I haven't worn briefs since I was like 11 (save for on recent runs).

That was it for issues. And if I just wore them for my run, I probably wouldn't even have noticed.

To buy or not to buy?

This is really easy - unless you aren't a guy or don't exercise, get them.  Period.  Go to http://www.ruezunderwear.com/shop.html and get a pair or two. Shipping is cheap, so you can get one to try, and then get 12 more when you're convinced.

If you don't hurt your body while you improve it, you're much more likely to enlighten.your.body.

Review: I Ate Green Tea from EatGreenTea

The build up

I was going through recent followers on Twitter to see if they would be good to follow back (I generally do follow back, but some accounts don't really warrant it, like those who follow me to pitch making me the top person on Twitter and getting my site millions of hits a second). I saw an account called @EatGreenTea that intrigued me. I have green tea extract in a supplement I take, and have long been aware of the benefits of the high antioxidants content of green tea.  There's a great breakdown of the benefits of green tea on this page.

The premise of EatGreenTea's products is that you can get far more benefit by eating green tea leaves than by drinking water that steeped in it. In fact, they claim you get 30x the antioxidants in a serving of their product vs a cup of green tea.

I was intrigued, and decided I'd try both of their products out as I could see different uses for them.
 

What it is & How it Works

They offer two ways to get your green tea fix - a powder and loose leaves. To me, the powder was ideal to add to my morning protein shake, or to mix into my omelet (along with my greens, mushrooms, spinach, onions and spices/seasonings). The loose leaves sounded perfect to add into dinner dishes, and I put it right into the vegan chili I made.

My impressions

It's easy to use this stuff - just add it to whatever, and you're done. A daily dose of the powder is ideally a teaspoon, and ideally a tablespoon for the leaves.  My chili made 10 servings, so I added about 10 tablespoons (or would have if I didn't plan to get a teaspoon a day in my protein shake...I ended up adding 5-6). For the chili (or I'd imagine for a pasta sauce, stir fry, etc), it basically vanished into the mix of veggies and spices. For my protein shake (which is white), it instantly colored things green.

Do I feel better? Well, it hasn't been that long, and I've had other things going on that wouldn't help me feel better (very little sleep lately, for example - though that's unrelated to the green tea, which can be a stimulant), so I wasn't necessarily expecting this to suddenly be a cure-all.  It is very easy to use, relatively cheap per serving (eat product is only $25, and I'd imagine there are 20-30 full servings of each in the bag), and there's no debate that green tea is good for you, so I'm sure it's beneficial. Whether it's markedly better than drinking tea is where the debate would be, and would probably center around whether your body can use the higher dose of antioxidants. I'm in no position to debate that point. I do know I don't feel worse, and not having issues (digestive, sleep, etc), so I doubt there's anything wrong with eating green tea, but do consider it relative to your medical situation rather than just going by what a blog says.

 

Update: Anthony, the founder of EatGreenTea followed up with some information on the issue of absorption of all the additional antioxidants:

Much of the research that you see around the documented benefits of green tea involves subjects who consume the equivalent of several cups of green tea per day. The reason is because the amount of antioxidants consumed in a single cup of brewed tea typically isn't enough to make a measurable difference in the body. The body really needs the additional antioxidants found from eating the green tea leaves.
We don't question if the body can handle all the nutrients from eating a spinach salad, or if there are too many antioxidants in blueberries. While agreed that too much of any one food is not a good thing - people are not in danger of getting too many antioxidants from eating a tablespoon of EatGreenTea. They are however, at risk of not getting enough antioxidants from just drinking a cup of brewed tea.

I can't see adding the powder to the chocolate version of my protein shake as I think the tastes would go to war and leave me as a casualty. For me, while I feel better about the powder (like I'm getting more of the good stuff), I think the leaves make more sense in terms of innocuously getting the benefits of this product into my day.

I also want point out that I firmly believe that the company and how it's run value-wise is as important as the product being sold. I had a couple of back and forth emails with Eat Green Tea's founder, Anthony Codispoti, and was really impressed with the responsiveness - both speed and quality of response, and speed of shipping (I got the green tea a day or two before my most optimistic estimate). The company also went the extra mile and wrote some really clear guidance on daily dose targets on my invoice to be sure I knew what to do when. I found the packaging to be clear enough (and nice looking overall), but it's touches like these that imply a general approach to doing business that mean something to me. It's what makes me choose one company over another, and why I'd stick with a product despite potential price differences.

My depressions

Honestly, my only issue is how strong the powder is flavor-wise. I don't dislike green tea, but I don't love its flavor. My protein shake is pretty strong flavored, too, and this totally overpowers it. I don't really care, but it's definitely worth knowing. As a result of my experience with the powder, I was nervous that it would totally change my chili or my omelet to add the leaves, but they are totally indiscernible in either. It's not really a problem, but something to be mindful of in your use cases.

 

Update: Anthony followed up on this point, too:

The powder does impart a lot more of its flavor (and color) into food items. I personally prefer to use the whole leaves in my smoothies (and most other things) because I'm not a big fan of the flavor either. Powder works well for baking (where even color distribution is desired), and mixed drinks (in my opinion).

Also, the packaging could be better. There's a little resealable inner bag within a foil bag, and I can't for the life of me get the powder's inner bag to reseal without losing a bunch of powder as smoke or on my fingers. Big deal - I just rolled both bags' tops together and rubber banded the whole thing. Yes, I am essentially McGyver.

 

Update: Anthony is a step ahead of me on this, which just shows my point on his customer service ethic. This is a company focused on quality and a quality experience for customers.

We acknowledge that the packaging for the powder in particular needs to be improved. We've been working with our farm to find a solution but haven't yet settled on one.

There's also the question of the stimulant effect of green tea.  I don't feel jittery or any more or less awake, and, as I mentioned above, my sleep issues aren't the product's fault (I am getting woken up by outside, powerful yet adorable 4 year old forces and kept awake later than I'd ideally prefer). It's worth a look at the issue of green tea and stimulants, especially if you have issues with caffeine.  A quick Google search can help, but here are a couple of links I found: Natural News: Green Tea and Caffeine, Wikipedia Green Tea Article.

I emailed the company about this, and got back a really helpful response that I wanted to share (another great example of their customer service):

I get that question a lot Bryan. While there is an increase in the amount of antioxidants you're ingesting - there is not an increase in caffeine. Caffeine is very water soluble so when you brew a cup of tea you're getting all the caffeine from it. Antioxidants are not as water soluble - so when you brew a cup of tea most of the antioxidants remain inside the leaves / tea bag.

When it comes to caffeine, the benefit of ingesting the whole leaves is that the caffeine is absorbed more slowly into the body (as opposed to ingesting a cup of brewed tea). So you don't get that energy peak and crash. Instead its more of a sustained energy lift throughout the day.

I'm not really qualified to evaluate this statement, but it sounds reasonable to me, and my experience would suggest that it's true.

To buy or not to buy?

This isn't a clear situation. I think there's no harm in using this stuff, but that's my view and coming from my body. You need to understand how your body reacts to green tea and its active components before deciding that for yourself. Millions of people drink it, and it's largely regarded as a healthful thing, so the odds are in your favor. As for the benefits of this product over drinking green tea, I can't say whether they're material or hypothetical. I do know I don't drink green tea, so this was a great way to get its benefits into my life quickly and easily. For me, that's a win, and means I'll at least be buying the leaves again to add into my dinner dishes. If that sounds appealing to you, then you should consider giving it a try.

In the end, the fact that I'm still using them, and plan to keep using them should stand as my overall view and recommendation. I just ask that you think about your health situation and your diet before blindly following my actions (or not).

Antioxidants are great, and learning more about their benefits and then incorporating them into your life is a great way to enlighten.your.body.