Swap Out Your Pasta For Something Better

My sister refers to me as a health nut, but I'm really not one. I just try to make better choices when it comes to food. I try to limit my gluten intake to help manage my autoimmune diseases. Sadly, I just discovered a love of a bunch of sauces other than the tomato sauce my mother made growing up, but I'm trying to avoid wheat noodles. Then I discovered Banza Pasta. It is made from chickpeas! 

I had never heard of a chickpea until I met my boyfriend's mother, who can basically make anything out of chickpeas. This legume is a secret super food, gluten free, low on the glycemic index and Banza's chickpeas are certified non-GMO. Just replace regular pasta in any recipe with Banza and you get double the protein, four times the fiber, and half the net carbs. 

This past weekend I did just that. Three Days, Three Recipes and Three Pastas.

Day One: Linguine

We invited a few friends over for a Pasta Game Night.

We made some turkey meatballs with a tomato and basil red sauce. The Banza Linguine cooked just like regular pasta.

Dinner was delicious.

Day Two: Shells

We visited my sister and brother-in-law with ingredients in tow. We whipped up some Chicken Alfredo and added Banza Shells. This one was also a hit.

Day Three: Rotini

This recipe was my favorite! Butternut Squash Alfredo! A perfect fall dish. The Banza Rotini cooked perfectly and held the sauce well. In this sauce, I couldn't even taste that the pasta was not wheat pasta. 

I wasn't the only one fooled by this dish. Even the kids loved it! That's a big deal. Totally a hit, I will be making this one again.

Banza is such a great alternative for those that are health conscious, have dietary restrictions or just want to add a great superfood to their repertoire.

You can find several varieties of Banza Pastas or their boxed Mac & Cheese at Target, Whole Foods or Wegmans.

Find Banza near you.

~Crystal Vicious

Tea Tree Oil Scrub

I love scrubs and I love tea tree oil! I couldn't wait to try out this Tree Tree Oil Body & Foot Scrub from First Botany Cosmeceuticals! My feet can get dry and I've had the tiniest bit of toenail fungus on the corner of one nail for over 5 years. I've been trying everything to combat that stupid fungus. I figured I'd give this a shot, since the other benefits of helping moisturize and battle stinky feet, plus being able to use it on face and body as well makes this scrub super versatile!

This scrub is a mixture of salts and oils. The tea tree scent is almost non-existent, there really isn't much of any scent in the container. The mixture is pretty dry, yet not very coarse. I like it. I scoop some out and apply it to damp skin, otherwise it will just fall right off of the area you put it on. I notice the oils once I rub it in. After applying to my feet in the shower I try to be careful to not slip. It's not incredibly oily, but my feet end up a bit slick after. 

That stubborn bit of toenail fungus does seem to have gotten even smaller, so I will continue to use this on my feet daily. My feet are also super soft and smooth, which I love. I haven't tried this scrub on my face yet, but I have on my arms and legs. It does a great job getting rid of dry skin and leaving my body feeling moisturized. I give this scrub 4 out of 5 stars. I wish it had a bit more of a tea tree scent, but otherwise it's great. I would recommend it to anyone that has foot problems or those who like scrubs. 


Grab some on Amazon.

I received this product at a discount. This review is 100% honest, unbiased, and my own. 

~Crystal Vicious

Spiky Balls For The Win!

Run Baby Spiky Massage Ball is designed for Plantar Fasciitis relief but can also be used as a deep tissue massager. It's like a mini foam roller...covered in spikes. What a cool product to have to help with your sore feet and tired legs. It can also be used to improve circulation, and release muscle knots. This is great to use for self massage, all you need is a wall or a floor. 

The ball is made of a firm, hard rubber and the spikes are not sharp. They actually feel great on your muscles when you apply pressure to them. Using the ball on your feet is very easy. You just place it under your arch and roll it back and forth or around in circles under your foot. This felt really nice and relieved some of my foot pain.

You can use the ball to self massage on the floor or against a wall. I have tight muscles, so using this ball regularly will be very beneficial for me. I love using it along my shoulders and my lower back. You just place it between your achy muscle and the wall and roll. When you find a knot, just apply pressure on that point for 10-15 seconds, and then move on to the next sore spot. 

I give the Run Baby Massage Ball 4 out of 5 stars. It's easy to use, easy to store, and small enough to be portable. I look forward to using it frequently to help with muscle aches. 

Grab one on Amazon.

I received this product at a discount. This review is 100% honest, unbiased, and my own. 

~Crystal Vicious

Mmmmmm Matcha!

There are two types of matcha: Culinary and Ceremonial. I love Midori Spring's Ceremonial Matcha, so now it's time to try out their Culinary Matcha. Culinary matcha can be mixed in smoothies, lattes, or added when baking. You should not drink culinary matcha on its own as a tea because it will taste robust, earthy and astringent. 

Naturally, the first thing I wanted to make was a smoothie. The first one I tried was made with 1/2 cup coconut milk, 1 cup orange juice, and 1/2 cup frozen mango, plus 1 teaspoon of matcha. It was delicious! I haven't looked back since. I have been adding a teaspoon of matcha to my smoothies every day. It gives them a beautiful green hue, a yummy green tea flavor, plus all the benefits matcha has to offer.

• Energy boost without the jitters.
• Reduces stress and improves mental alertness.
• Improve metabolism and helps with weight control.
• Supports your immune system and reduces inflammation.

After making a ton of smoothies I decided to try my hand at baking with matcha. I found a recipe for matcha meringue and this is what happened. 

These meringue cookies were...interesting. They tasted like the last sip of a cup of tea. A strong tea flavor, and a lot of sugar. I made a perfect meringue...but the flavor was just odd. I love matcha tea, lattes, and smoothies, but I'm not much of a fan of baking with it just yet. This won't deter me from trying a few more recipes, but I won't make these again. None of my friends were big fans either. 

One of my friends actually put a matcha meringue cookie IN his vodka tonic and let it melt. He said it was actually yummy, thus proving matcha will always be delicious in beverages. I give Midori Spring Culinary Matcha 4 out of 5 stars. I love everything about it in drinks. I just don't know how I feel about adding it to cooking and baking. 

Grab some on Amazon.

I received this product at a discount. This review is 100% honest, unbiased, and my own. 

~Crystal Vicious

Time To Add A Cooling Towel To My Postie Gear.

Living with a chronic illness is hard. I am always on the lookout for products that can help me deal with symptoms. Cooling towels are one of the best inventions for someone with a broken autonomic nervous system. My body has trouble regulating it's temperature. This causes heat intolerance. I couldn't wait to try Live Infinitely's Forever Cool Instant Cooling Towel to help me deal with the heat, even in the winter. 

When I opened this cooling towel there was an interesting chemical odor. I threw the towel in the wash, then hung it to dry. I also rinsed out the anti-bacterial case with soap and water to get rid of any residual odor. After doing so, the smell dissipated. When it is dry, the towel is very hard, kind of like cardboard. Weird right? I rolled it up, and was unable to fit it back into the case. Next time I will try to fold it differently, but I didn't want to put it away until it was dry. 

The color has faded in many spots after washing, but it is still pink, and I haven't noticed the color bleeding onto any surfaces or fabrics. The towel is pretty easy to use. You just wet it, wring it out, and snap it a couple times. It gets pretty cold pretty quickly. It also completely transforms from hard, stiff material to a soft, towel like form. I was able to wrap the towel all the way around my neck and it was nice and cool to the touch. A very welcome feeling when my body is overheating for no reason. 

The material is so strange, it feels damp, but it isn't wet. It stays cool for a long time. Once it dries out, you only need to wet it again. It is way more convenient then wetting wash cloths and dripping everywhere, just to have to run it under cold water again five minutes later. I give this product 4 out of 5 stars. I wish the case was a bit bigger, so I don't have to smoosh the towel inside. Overall, it's a really neat product and I would recommend it to anyone who needs to cool off after a workout, or for people with heat intolerance. This will seriously be a life saver for me in the summer months! 

Grab one on Amazon.

I received this product at a discount. This review is 100% honest, unbiased, and my own. 

~Crystal Vicious 

An Ice Bag That is Zebra Print! Sold!

As a chronic illness warrior, I am always on the lookout for products that can help with my symptoms, and anything that is zebra print! "When you hear hoof beats, think of horses not zebras". I was stoked when I saw this Hot/Cold Pack with zebra stripes by Naniga. I could use this to help with numerous aches and pains, swelling, and most frequently my migraines. This is way easier than soaking a washcloth in cold water every five minutes. 

This bag stunk to high heaven when I opened it. An awful plastic/chemical smell. I washed it with warm water

and soap and aired it out overnight. That resolved the issue. The cover is easy to unscrew and the mouth is large. I could fit a couple of my thin ice cubes at a time, and i could easily fill with water from the sink. When filled the bag covers a lot of surface area. It stays both cool and hot for a full 20 minutes which is the amount of time I like to apply hot or cold therapy. 

The main reason I wanted this particular ice bag was the "zebra" pattern, all lot of the color is warn away. A lot of the black is missing, or rather, displaced onto the white stripes. The bag has not leaked and hasn't even produced any sweat so I don't know why the pattern is ruined. The fabric is soft, and feels pretty durable, so I suppose its just a problem with the "paint". It's just a cosmetic issue, but it still bums me out.

I give the Naniga Ice Bag 4 out of 5 stars. The initial smell was awful, but after a wash it dissipated. If the paint didn't wash off/move around, I would have given this bag a perfect score. It's simple and convenient to use. It's portable, so I will bring it when I in my medical kit when I travel. It keeps it's contents warm or cool for as long as I need it. It doesn't leak and it's very comfortable. I would recommend it.

Grab one on Amazon.

I received this product at a discount. My reviews are 100% my own, honest opinion.

~Crystal Vicious

Best Digital Thermometer

As someone with a crap ton of chronic illnesses, it is very important that I have a reliable oral thermometer. I have gone through countless thermometers over the past decade alone and one thing I have learned was that I need a thermometer with a flexible tip. This is important to me because non flexible thermometers cause pain in my mouth. Nanci Perrin's Thermometer already scores one point for being comfortable under my tongue. 

This digital thermometer comes in a hard plastic case that protects it. It is a good size, not small but not huge. The LCD display is huge though, but that is great. It makes reading your temperature easy, even if your so sick you can't focus. I have yet to have a fever, so I have not heard the fever alarm yet. It appears to take accurate readings as I have felt fine and my temp has been between 97.9-98.2 which is my usual range.

Another great aspect of this thermometer is that it is waterproof! This makes cleaning a breeze! I have ruined some thermometers in the past by accidentally splashing water on the display while cleaning. Taking a temp has never been so fast, I only had to wait about 10 seconds to get a reading. The thermometer is made well and seems quite durable.  It is super easy to use. I did need to hold the button down for a few seconds before the first use to switch from Celsius to Fahrenheit, but after that...simple. Push the one button, place the sensor, wait for beep, read, and then push button to turn off.

This thermometer can be used for babies and children as well. It can take axillary and rectal temperatures.

I like everything about this thermometer and am glad to add it to my drawer of medical supplies. I trust it will do it's job and it will hold up for quite some time. I give it 4 out of 5 stars. I received this product at a discount. My review is 100% my own and I have given my honest opinion.

Order one off Amazon.

~Crystal Vicious 

OxyLED Ultrasonic Cool Mist Aroma Diffuser

This amazing product takes water and essential oils and turns any room into a magical atmosphere. This cool gadget has two mist settings (heavy and light), 3 timer options or ON (it shuts off automatically when out of water), and lights that cycle through a rainbow of colors, or you can select your favorite color and keep it there. 

I love using this in my bedroom to diffuse essential oils. Everything about this product is relaxing. It is simple to use, upkeep is easy, and all the settings make it versatile. It's also pretty big, 500 ml lasts a good amount of time. I rate it 5 out of 5 stars and would totally recommend it to anyone that is interested in aromatherapy.

Today I tried to do my first video review. It's a little different because no one in my house could stay quiet long enough for me to film my opinion for two minutes, so I wrote my review on top of a video that demonstrates how to use the diffuser. It also shows how rad the lights are! 

Grab one on Amazon!

A review sample was provided for a fair, unbiased, and honest review.

~Crystal Vicious

ExfoliMATE!

Move over Loofah...I have a new shower buddy and it's the ExfoliMATE! At first, this exfoliating cloth doesn't seem all that special. It's just a strip of fabric, albeit leopard print.

I added some body wash,  held opposite ends of the cloth in each hand and scrubbed back and forth from different angles and my back has never felt better!

This thing lathers like crazy! After scrubbing my back, I balled the cloth up and used it like a loofah pouf all over the rest of my body. It worked perfectly, even on my sensitive skin. It gently removed all the dead skin, dirt, and oil. After my shower all of my skin felt super clean, smooth, and soft. It was like magic. As someone with short arms, chronic pain, and backne...this cloth is seriously a godsend. 

I am totally trading out my loofah for the ExfoliMate. It works great, it's super versatile, washable, and you can even fold it up and take it with you when you travel. I give it 5 out of 5 stars and would recommend it to anyone that wants smooth skin.

Grab one at GreenHeartLabs.com





I received this product at a discount in exchange for my honest, unbiased opinion.


~Crystal Vicious