PURE BODY EXTRA STRENGTH by Touchstone Essentials (GRADE A – CLEANSE)

PURE BODY EXTRA STRENGTH by Touchstone Essentials (GRADE A – CLEANSE)

This is by far the BEST Cleanse/Detox product I have ever had.  To describe it as perfection is kind of an understatement, and for those of you who have read my other posts know that I am not a push over.

For the most part this is fairly unknown brand (Touchstone Essentials), but the quality and efficacy of this product probably warrants a closer look at the company itself.

First, let me talk about what I know anecdotally about the product itself, and then I will talk about my experience with it as I tested and tried it myself.

As far as I know this is a zeolite based product – and zeolite seems to be the only active ingredient, but the delivery systems also seems part of the secret sauce.  I can say that because after the great effects of this product I have tried other zeolite products with mush less success and fanfare.

It is in a water based spray, and I believe the zeolite utilizes a nano technology to make it into a colloidal like product.  This increased its absorption as well as its strength. 

The directions will tell you to take four sprays three times a day.  The spray is tasteless, and initially you wonder if a few sprays in your mouth will do anything – but it really does!

Hypothetically, the zeolite (which is a volcanic mineral) is a negatively charged ion – as the spray is absorbed right into your blood stream, rather than digested, those ions float through your body and pull positively charged toxins towards them, binds them, and then flushes them from the system.  This included metal toxins and others.

Now for my experience.  As I said before, initially I was skeptical of the process of a couple of sprays.  To be transparent, I didn’t follow the instructions perfectly I took six sprays twice a day (morning and evening) – because I have a hard time carrying a bottle around with me.  Again, the spray was tasteless. 

However, within just one day I began to notice a few things. I noticed that my “movements” were a little more pleasant and easy (sorry for the description, but when talking about cleanses its impossible not to).  I also began to notice a slight energy boost as well – typical of when I am midway through a cleanse.  To be clear, this isn’t a huge energy boost – just the type you get when you know you are starting to remove things from your body.  For those of you have taken cleanses often you will know what I am referring to.  There was also a clarity in mental acuity from it.

After I first tried it, I was convinced Zeolite was the next big thing – and when I ran out I went and bought another Zeolite based product – one that was a terribly tasting tincture.  This was a mistake.  The formula made my belly hurt, and my movements were not any different.  Then I tried a powder with zeolite and active charcoal.  This wasn’t terrible, but actually made me feel sluggish.

I then got the opportunity to get another bottle of PURE BODY again, that this time I tried it – and went right back to the pleasant experience I had had before.  In addition to this, I used this in conjunction with both a CUT cycle and a BUILD cycle and they seemed to give me an edge on both!

I found I could do a good consistent constant detox with this, with none of the bad side effects you would expect!  To add to this I never had “loose stools” or anything that comes from constant cleansing – because it never really hits the belly it never hurts to digest or give you gas.

This was a big win, and I give this a GRADE A.

The only place I can see to buy this is on their website.  I don’t think I have seen it in stores, but if you do pick it up.  As you know I don’t have sponsors for this website – and I don’t do this to make money, but I will give you their website only because it is kind of hard to find.  Thegoodinside.com – Touchstone Essentials.

Big FAN!

SLEEP/GH by Prime Nutrition (GRADE D)

SLEEP/GH by Prime Nutrition (GRADE D)

This product had no visible effect at all - and actually disrupted my sleep more than anything!

The concept with this supplement is a pre-sleep powder. You take a scoop of it before you go to bed, and it is supposed to help you sleep, rest, recover, and increase your growth hormone as a result.

As far as the ingredients go - it has some valerian, gaba (both of which to help you sleep) and some amino acids.  In all honesty, there is nothing here to actually help you boost your Growth Hormone, outside of just promoting a good night sleep.

The challenge was with this, was not only did it not taste great, and was a clumpy powder - it didn't actually give you a good night sleep.  It seemed to give you a groogie, broken up sleep and didn't seem to help much.

This was something that I used for the whole month during a build cycle, and in addition to messing up my sleep patterns, I didn't see any positive response this cycle in my build at all.  My energy didn't increase, and nether did my lift.  This would fall under the category of supplements that sell probably because of faith that it is doing something you can't see or feel.

I don't recommend this product at all.  I can't say it didn't do anything, but it didn't do anything that I could see.

Don't spend youe money on this one.

Psychotic by Insane Labz - Pre-workout Review (B)

Psychotic by Insane Labz - Pre-workout Review (B)

Grade: B!

Okay - so if you have followed my reviews at all, you will have noticed that I generally wasn't a fan of the last product I reviewed by Insane Labs (Insane Cutz)... in fact I was really really disappointed.

However, with that beings said, this review was a happy surprise.  As much as I do a lot of supplement testing, I am also a minimalist and am somewhat obsessive about actually using everything and all the resources I "consume" in my lifestyle.  I had purchased this pre-workout when I purchased the Insane Cutz.  If I hadn't had purchased it then - I wouldn't have after trying the Cutz product.  But because I had it - why buy another pre-workout when I had on "in stock".

So for over a month I used this on my build cycle - primarily because it contains creatine (and I try not to consume any creatine on a cut cycle).  During my build cycles I also only take my pre-workout as my stimulant for the day... so this was it.

I actually really really enjoyed it!  It gave me a great boost of energy during my workout, and actually gave me some sustained energy throughout the morning (and a bit into the afternoon) - and I wouldn't say I had any crash.

I will say that this might be a little too intense for some.  It contains a good amount of caffeine, and their key ingredient AMP BERRY - which is a little gimmicky, but also has some odd effects that I can only attribute to it ("odd" doesn't mean good necessarily).

I am giving it a B because I like it - it did what it was supposed to, and I was surprised by it.  I think I would probably give is a second round of playing with, if I wasn't testing anything else.

With all of that good stuff being said, let me give you some transparent reasons why it wasn't given an A.

First, it doesn't taste "good".  Most pre-workouts have fairly good flavoring... this doesn't.  This has flavoring, but really taste like crushed up aspirin with a hint of whatever flavor they are selling.  The flavor profile is definitely lacking. There are times when you can kind of look forward to your pre-workout taste - this is not the case.  I would end up taking it with only four ounces of water, so that I could "shoot" it!  The results were worth the negative taste.

Second, it was a little late on the delivery of energy - which was a pro and a con.  It would kick in about half way through my work out, but it would also last longer after.

Third, you need to be careful - because I was pretty sure it was always crashing my blood sugar levels.  If I wasn't eating something and resting right after the workout - lets say I needed to jump in the shower quick (and then sit and eat) - once you stopped you would get the anxious shakes and jitters, and stomach hunger pains... and I would be shaking in shower trying to rush to get to breakfast.  It didn't feel great...

Now all of this was with a full scoop and dose.  They advertise to start only with a half dose - which I would recommend because it might be too intense for some.  But for most - this I think - is just a marketing request to make it look more intense than it is.  Start with a half does - but if you are reading this I bet you will jump to a full dose without any issues.  It might be too much for some starters - but it's not really that intense.

So I enjoyed it for various reasons, and was surprised by it.  But I can't say that it was awesome or the best one I have had...

Take that for what you will.  And I hope you enjoy it!

Psychotic by Insane Labz - B

Insane CUTZ by INSANE LABZ (C-)

Insane Cutz by INSANE LABZ (C-)

RESULTS: C -

This product came highly recommended at my health food store.  They had just started carrying it, and like most things, the newest stuff is always the "coolest."  To be honest, I suppose I buy into the hype a bit as well as the marketing.

The supplement is intended to "Murder Your Fat Cells" as stated in the bottle.  It has a number of typical ingredient, but claims to have the AMPBerry which is supposed to AMP things up a bit.

When I started taking this I had been on a build cycle, and had increased about 6 pounds from that cycle.  Typically, when I go from a build to a shred cycle, I will dump what I gained in fat within the first ten days, and then shred some additional fat to round it out.

I will keep this short and simple.

When I started taking it, I was really excited.  This is because I could feel the energy - it gave me a huge lift which seemed to last throughout the day!  Which I didn't think was going to happen from just one pill at 5 AM before the gym.

Within the first week I lost about 3 lbs. - which was on track with what I expected from my move to a shred cycle.  Then in the second week I lost about 3 more pounds.

By the third week I plateaued, gaining a pound (despite the intense cardio, ketosis, and dieting I was on.)  I ignored this and continued on.

The fourth week I again gained a pound... but continued on (because of my scheduled I knew I was going to go five weeks).

In the fifth week - the energy was completely gone from the supplement, my appetite was through the roof - and I gained 2.5 pounds.

Ultimately I ended the cycle only being down 1.5 pounds - which sucks, because I would have expected at least the six I lost the first two weeks from my BUILD cycle (if I hadn't taken anything at all).

To say I was disappointed in this supplement is an understatement.  It really is just marketing more than anything.  After this I went and checked out their videos - which I should have done first.  I probably wouldn't have bought this supplement at all - when I saw that they all seemed to be a little "hillbilly-ish" just talking about they packed crap into a pill and pretending they knew what they were doing.

As for buying it - you can by a 45 day supply for around $55.  However, if you check their website, you buy buy these little blister packs (24 of them) each with 4 pills a pack, for about the same price.  This is like a 96 day supply.  This is how I did it... However, now I have another 60 days of supplements I will probably just toss now.

CFI by Achievements Through Science Labs (ATS Labs) – Review (B+)

CFI by Achievements Through Science Labs (ATS Labs) – Review (B+)

INTRODUCTION- I decided to try this product primarily as a result of the other products I have tried from ATS Labs.  If you look through the other posts you will see that for a build cycle I did a stack of products from ATS Labs and I really enjoyed them.  They seemed to be aggressive and productive at the same time.  

So I started to do some research, and even though I couldn’t find any Cutting or fat burners from ATS in the stores I found some on their online store.  So I figured I would do a fat burning cycle with them and try them out.

CFI (which I assume stands for something, but I don’t know) some with 90 capsules which is proported to be a 45 day supply.    “It is designed to give the consumer a fat burning experience that is second to none,” so says the label.  Simple enough.

The price on this was around $49.99 which was a good value I felt.

And in true ATS style – besides the Bitter Orange Extract – there is not a single ingredient that I fully understand or know anything about… which is unusual for me and my background in supplements – but seems to be typical of ATS.  This can cause some to be suspicious.

The instructions are to take one capsule two times a day – and go five days on and two days off.  When I started, I knew that I wasn’t going to take the two days off… that is just not my style and I only wanted to do a 30 day cycle.  Only wanting to do a 30 day cycle I also decided not to listen to the “do not consume more than 2 capsules a day” and I figured I would just do three a day and get rid of the 90 pills in 30 days.  (PLEASE READ BELOW)

Because I just wanted to lose fat – I also was only going to do weight loss level cardio for an hour a day.

RESULTS – I lost fat – and it worked… but not without consequences.

As I stated, I thought I would be more aggressive than the label asked – and I would take three pills a day (spaced out throughout the day). 

Day one I took one before my work out – and it help the workout be freakin awesome.  I loved the work out.  The second pill came before lunch, and the third pill came right before I left work (thinking it would help my activity with the family for the rest of the night).

Day 2 – same routine, but the minute I took the third pill – my NOSE STARTED TO BLEED!  This was my very first nose bleed in my life – and it wouldn’t stop – took me about thirty minutes and a couple of people to help from work.  I thought this was kind of funny and not connected to the supplement.

Day 3 – same routine, and again… the moment I took the third pill my nose started to BLEED AGAIN!  This time it again took about thirty minutes to stop.

With that – I decided to STOP the third pill – and for the rest of the cycle I never had another nose bleed again.  I am not sure why – but I learned my lesson.  I know that writing this probably makes me sound stupid – and looking back I knew better – but I am trying to be completely honest in these reviews.

With that being said, after I got through the first three days and just going back to two pills a day – I quickly shed all the excess fat I gained in my last bulk cycle and another 5 pound in the second two weeks.  By the time I was ending the fourth week I was will averaging about a 2.2 lbs of loss a week – and I still had another 2 and a half weeks of supply – so I extended the supplementation for another two weeks.  I didn’t start to plateau in my weight loss until the third week of the extension – which was seven weeks total.

With that being said I am giving this a B+ for weight loss.  I lost weight really well and consistently – and for those who are working out they will enjoy this supplement.  I never got the sweats to felt uncomfortable from the stimulants throughout the day – I just felt the energy.  I would recommend this product. 

I probably would have given this an A if I didn’t get the nose bleed – which although was my fault probably shows something about the ingredients, safety, and I am sure there are people out there who this would be too strong for.

SYNEGREX by Metabolic Nutrition – Review (C)

SYNEGREX by Metabolic Nutrition – Review (C)

So this supplement was highly recommended, but you might notice that I am combining the introduction and the review together.  The reason for this is that I didn’t stay on this product long enough to space the two out – it is probably just better that I put them together.

INTRODUCTION – This product come highly recommended.  When I say highly recommended, I mean by everyone who has ever taken it.  To the extent that for any store to make a quick sale of this product all it requires is the sales person whispering that they might take it off the shelves, and if the customer has used it before they will stock up right there on as many bottles as they can get.  Seriously, this was what I witnessed that peaked my interest.

This product is available at a number of Nutritional Stores.  I was first introduced to the product a Complete Nutrition, but when I can find the same product at other stores (which is RARE) I usually try and buy it somewhere else (as it will be cheaper).  I purchased this one at my local whole good store Good Earth for $39.99 – but I have seen this retail for as much as $59.99.

INGREDIENTS –Hypothetically one of the selling points of this supplement is that there are not hard core stimulants like eccessive amounts of caffeine.  Ironically, the real selling point that I have heard again and again, is that this will give you insane energy all day!  I was actually warned not to take more than one pill a day, even if you think you can tolerate it.  So somehow it is supposed to JACK you UP, but not with anything dangerous…

The typical ingredients include: a selection of B Vitamins (3,6,12) and Chromium .  These are typical in any wieghtloss/energy combo, and they are not in excessive doses.  Then their prorpietory blen carries with it a number of other ingredients that is fairly common: Alpha Lipoic Acid, Yohimbine and Sandalwood extract,  etc.  Then there are a few weird ingredients that I have no idea what they are Methylanthine and the such.

EXPERIENCE – Again, the big selling point really got me excited about this supplement.  But I think there is something unique about me (doesn’t everyont think that) – because this supplement did virtually nothing for me on any level.

Again, everyone before I bought this, and after I stopped using it SWEARS by this.  But my plan was to continue to do the gym every day, use one pill in the morning, and if I felt like I could “handle” it – jump up to two pills (one in the morning and one in the afternoon).  I really wanted to get as much out of it as possible.

When I started the Supplement I noticed… NOTHING.  I actually didn’t even really get a boost of energy to get me to the gym…. AT ALL.  I was so disappointed.  I stuck with one pill for a week – got nothing out of it, and saw nothing on the scale change at all.  Then the second week I added a second pill in the afternoon – possible according to direction but against everyone elses warning, and saw… NOTHING!

By the middle of the second week, I started to us a pre-workout just to get me up and going to the gym.  In addition to that I think I actually felt more tired.  Before I had taken this I had done a ten day cleanse to remove any remaining stimulants from my system so that I could make sure it was okay.

After the second week I gave up on it… I was miserable… not because the supplement made me miserable, but because I started to notice that I no longer wanted to go the gym and it wasn’t fun anymore not seeing any results in energy or on the scale. 

I am giving this a C – I would normally give it an F for me, and I will never use this again; however, I have seen people who love this – and I can’t help but think that maybe it is something about my that is not making this function as it should.

PLEASE NOTE: This review was written after the two week cycle that took place in MARCH 2016 but wasn’t edited and posted until near the end of that year.

BUCKED UP – Pre-Workout – Review (B+)

So this review is a little outside of the norm.  I usually pick a supplement, take my body measures, test it, and then evaluate my results.  This is different because this supplement is for a different purpose.  Sometimes I may be on a build cycle, testing a supplement without any actually stimulants in it, or anything that would help be get up and go to the gym and get my best out of my workout.  In these situations the supplements actually recommend finding a pre-workout to take in conjunction with it.

Bucked-Up is a pre-workout powder.  It is intended to take one scoop mixed with water thirty minutes before the workout.  It contains a couple sources of caffeine, and Deer Antler Velvet – which I believe is a little gimmicky, but seems to be okay.

What I have to say about this product is it is my favorite pre-workout.  I have taken a number of different ones in the past, and found them effective, in that they give me energy and tingles to motivate me to move.  But it wasn’t until this supplement that I realized how smooth a pre-workout can be. 

When talking with a few people at the gym, they did criticize it a little bit for the lack of caffeine in each serving. They felt it needed to exceed 200 mg a dose, which I believe this is closer to 150.  But I found this to be perfect.  I would take this, it would get me up and going, and minimize the soreness afterward regardless of what supplement I was taking.  It was a perfect “supplement” to whatever I was doing. 

In all honesty, I am not sure how to quantitatively review a pre-workout, with the exception that I felt great, I got the energy I needed, I wasn’t jittery, and I was felt great after.  I give this a clean B+!

This is something that is going to go right into my regular routine, when a pre-workout is needed.