thinkThin® Bars Review, Guest Post by Andy Harris
CG: This Christmas, the elves at the thinkThin company delivered 2 cases of assorted product to cavegrrl.com headquarters. I’ll preface this post by saying that the line of thinkThin bars are not primal or paleo, but work great if you are an athlete that burns a lot of energy. That’s why I asked Andy if he would be interested in reviewing the bars from a very active person’s point-of-view. I have had the thinkThin products before and I think they are great as a meal replacement/treat. Also, all of the bars we tasted were gluten-free and non-GMO. So, without further delay is Andy’s take on the variety pack we were sent:
I recently sat down with samples of four distinctly different health bars being manufactured and distributed by a company aptly named thinkThin. These bars are being marketed as low-calorie and gluten-free, with no refined sugar and a really nice balance of carbohydrates, protein and fat.
To preface my review, I will state all four of these bars were unique in their own way, flavorful and satisfying. I did have my preferences, as I’m sure you will, and I would encourage you to try all their products and see which ones you like best.
The first one I tried was the Caramel Chocolate Dipped Mixed Nuts. (From their Crunch line) The packaging caught my eye and, not surprisingly, it wound up tasting every bit as good as it looked. I don’t normally eat peanuts, but the combination of peanuts, almonds and cashews in a chewy format was very good. This bar would be particularly attractive to a person who is mixing in aerobic exercise with dieting, as the bar is 190 calories with 100 calories coming from fat. However, this is a very balanced bar, with 12g of fat, 15g of carbohydrate and 10g of protein.
The next one I tried was the Dark Chocolate Coconut. (From their Divine line.)
I couldn’t wait to try this one because of my affinity for coconut, and it did not disappoint. It was my favorite of the bunch, with immensely rich flavors of coconut and chocolate reminiscent of a Mounds bar. Here again, this one gets more than half of its calories from fat. It comes in at 170 calories, which I wouldn’t consider a full meal replacement, although it would make an outstanding post-workout energy bar or in-between meal snack.
Third in line was the Creamy Peanut Butter bar. (From their Protein line.) Like I said before, I don’t normally eat peanuts or anything made out of peanuts, but if you like them, you might like this bar. The only peculiarity with this bar was that the peanut flavor tasted strange, almost gamey. You might try it and achieve different findings, and it would not hurt you to try this bar if you enjoy peanut products. This bar has a very low fat content, 33%, if that’s what you’re looking for, and is quite filling at 240 calories. If you’re trying to lose weight, this one could function as a full meal replacement, but please beware of the 300mg of sodium, about two to three times the sodium content of the other bars tested for this review.
Last but certainly not least was the Brownie Crunch. (From their Protein line.) I could envision this bar as being their most popular of the four sampled. It simply tastes just like a chocolate brownie, including an excellent chewy texture, but without any refined sugar. The big surprise was that this bar was the leanest of the bunch, with only 70 calories from fat from the entire 240 calorie total.
In summation, I am going to highly recommend this line of products. They are all made with healthy, natural ingredients and should support an appetite control program with emphasis on exercise and good overall nutrition.
Think Thin bars carry a suggested retail price of $1.99 each, with a box of 10 coming in at $16.90. If you find a bar you’re particularly enamored with, you can opt for a carton of 6 boxes of 10 bars for $95.40. With a shelf life of approximately one year, you’re sure to use them during that span.
Think Thin products are widely available at Safeway, Raley’s, Save Mart and FoodsCo., Target, and Trader Joe’s.
River City Rebels Rebellion Recap and Gold Rush Fun Run!
So, I just joined a running club last month called the River City Rebels. The Rebels were founded in 1994 by Andy Harris and Mark Hicks, and now have over 100 members–both newcomers to the sport, as well as those with over 20 years of running experience. The River City Rebels Running Club is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization through their affiliate membership in the RRCA.
It’s a great group of really talented people and I am happy to be a part of the team. I am mainly a treadmill runner, so it’s quite a literal chance of pace for me to run out on the roads and even cross-country.
The 2nd Annual River City Rebel Rebellion was just this past weekend, and I competed in the PAUSATF division. It was my first cross-country race ever. I came in 72nd out of 78 women, and yes, most of the women behind me were a lot older. Still, I feel great about how I did. The 5K course was very challenging with 3 big hills and mixed terrain. I am looking forward to racing with the Rebels for the remainder of the season. Running with people who are a lot faster than you can really motivate!!
I truly have mixed feelings about running competitively. Though I am not a fast runner, I definitely am an endurance runner. My PR for a 1/2 Marathon is 1:54:15. I feel very proud of that.
The above images of the 2nd Annual River City Rebel Rebellion were taken by me and the shot of the Men’s Open Race was taken by Cristian Morinico.
Gold Rush Fun Run
My next race will be the Gold Rush Fun Run and I will be running the 10-miler. I don’t have a 10-mile PR, but I ran 1:22:39 last year at the Hot Chocolate 15K, which is 9.3 miles. If I can beat that pace (which is 8:53 mins per mile) I will be pleased.
The Gold Rush Fun Run & Walk benefits InAlliance, a nonprofit organization serving people with developmental disabilities. For more information about InAlliance, you can visit their website at www.inallianceinc.com.
The race is set for Saturday, September 22, 2012
Its background is the Sierra Nevada Foothills along the El Dorado Trail. Participants weave their way along a trail, which was once the historic Southern Pacific Railway line, and now features picturesque scenery and an abundance of wildlife.
You can sign up for the 10 Mile, 10K, 5K or 1 mile race followed by an after party with snacks, vendor booth, music, raffle prizes and awards ceremony. The 10 Mile, 10K and 5K runs will be chip timed by Synergy Race Timing. 5K walk and 1 mile stroll are untimed.
The Gold Rush Fun Run & Walk course map is located here: http://goldrushfunrun.com/about/course-maps/
You can register for the race and walk here.
All participants registered for the Gold Rush Fun Run & Walk will receive two free raffle tickets for our Gold Nugget Raffle!
2012 Prizes include a Lake Tahoe Getaway, Specialty Spa Package, and many more. Additional raffle tickets may be purchased the day of the event- 5 tickets for $5, 10 tickets for $10 and 25 tickets for $25.
Important things to know about the race:
TIMES:
7:00am: Packet/Bib Pick-up and Registration
8:30am: 10 Mile Run START
8:45am: 10K Run START
9:00am: 5K Run/Walk START
9:15am: 1 Mile Stroll START
10:30am: Raffle Prizes and Awards Ceremony
12:00pm: Event Concludes
PACKET PICK-UP:
Thursday. September 20, 2012
9:00am-4:30pm at the INALLIANCE Sacramento Office located at 6950 21st Ave, Sacramento, CA 95820.
Friday, September 21, 2012
9:00am-4:30pm at the INALLIANCE Placerville Office
located at 660 Main Street, Placerville, CA 95667.
Race Day- Saturday, September 22, 2012
Beginning at 7:00am at the Registration Table in the parking lot of the El Dorado Trail- County Trail Head located on Jacquier Road, Placerville, CA 95667. Click Here for Map
Friends may pick-up packets and register for you. No entry refunds, transfers or exchanges. Dogs with well behaved owners on short leashes welcome.
Awards: The top three overall male and female finishers in the 10 mile, 10k and 5k races will receive custom medals. Age division awards will be given to the top three male and female finishers in each of the following divisions: 12 and Under, 13-19, 20-29, 30-39, 40-49, 50-59, 60-69, 70+.
All races will take place rain or shine.
For more information, you can call 916-381-1300 x170. Hope to see you there!
cavegrrl.com 