Dr. Scholl's Active Series Influenster Review

Influenster sent me some complimentart Dr. Scholl's Active Series insoles to try out and review.

I am generally pretty active, so I was interested to see how these worked.  I wouldn't say I needed them though.  I wear neutral and minimal running shoes, meaning I like little to no support in my shoes.  I like to feel the ground below me and wearing cushioned shoes actually bothers my feet.

Here are some benefits that the insoles say they will deliver:

The first time I tried these out I used them on the elliptical at the gym.  I ended up staying on the machine for almost 2 hours while I watched Spirit of the Marathon.  They seemed to work fine, but my toenails on my big toes sort of throbbed.  I think it was a combo of me needing to cut them and the insoles being thicker than the normal ones so my toes were hitting the top of my shoe more.

I also started wearing them to work.  I have a very active job and am literally running around for 8 hours straight.  The first couple of days, I noticed the insoles were pushing up on my arch.  It caused some discomfort, but I didn't notice it after awhile.  They seem comfortable enough and haven't caused any more discomfort after the arch problem.

Would I buy them?  Probably not...as in no.  Like I said, I like minimal shoes and don't need the extra cushion, especially when working out.  I will keep using them in my work shoes though.

Have you ever used insoles?  What kind?

 "I received these products complimentary from Influenster for testing purposes." 

Lifeway Kefir Smoothie Recipes

Influenster sent me a coupon for a free Lifeway Kefir product that I reviewed here. I made a couple of smoothies that I really liked.  Here are the recipes!

Strawberry-Banana Smoothie

1 c. Lifeway Kefir Lowfat Plain
1 c. Strawberry
1  frozen banana (softened, per instructions below)
1 Tbsp. Chia seeds
1 oz. coffee, hot or cold

Put all of the ingredients into a blender and blend until smooth.

I use at least one fruit as frozen, usually the banana.  Just throw your bananas into the freezer once they begin to get too ripe to eat.  When you want to use it, throw it in the microwave for about 30 seconds and the peel will come right off!

Mango Protein Smoothie

1/2 c. Lifeway Kefir Lowfat Plain
1/2 c. Simply Nutritious Morning Blend
1 mango, peeled and cubed
1 Tbsp. Chia seeds
1 Tbsp. NutriBiotic Rice Protein Powder

Throw all of the ingredients in a blender.  Blend until smooth.

I had the mango one after a long run for some quick protein.

Do you like smoothies?  What's your favorite?

Influenster Lifeway Kefir Review

I'm fortunate to be a part of Influenster. They send out products to be tested and reviewed with your honest opinion. I've been sent a Voxbox, which had a lot of different items in it, a new type of Palmolive dish soap, and now I was sent a coupon for any free Lifeway Kefir product.

I chose the Lowfat Plain flavor. I figured that way I can add it to a variety of foods to see how it tastes. I tried it in a couple of different smoothies and some in my scrambled eggs.

Strawberry-Banana Smoothie

Mango Protein Smoothie

Fluffy Scrambled Eggs with Spinach

The taste has a bitter sort of sour flavor, just like a plain yogurt. The texture is like a thinned yogurt, very thick and creamy. I don't think I could ever drink the stuff straight up, but the girl at the grocery store and someone on Twitter told me how much they loved every flavor!

While I chose the plain flavor, there are a ton of others, including frozen products such as fro-yo and frozen Kefir bars!

Here are some perks of Kefir directly from their site:

-Lifeway Foods ONLY uses milk from grass fed cows that is rBGH free (Bovine Growth Hormones) and Antibiotics free. The milk also comes from farms that take great care for the cows, treating them in a humane way

-Lifeway Kefir Products are sweetened with Organic Cane Sugar not High Fructose Corn Syrup

-Lifeway Plain Kefir is unsweetened for the sugar conscious

-Berries like Pomegranate, Blueberry, Acai, and Cherry contain a higher 
Antioxidant count. Lifeway makes all of these great flavors loaded with Antioxidant Power.

-All of Lifeway's products are gluten free.

My overall opinion of the plain flavor?  It was okay.  It added protein to my smoothies and didn't bother my stomach like dairy milk does.  I didn't care for the thickness or bitterness of it, which I could taste through the other flavors. I also wished they had some recipe suggestions on their website like other products do and because of the thick consistency, I couldn't think of much else to try it in.

"I received these products complimentary from Influenster for testing purposes.  As always, the opinions are my own."

Have you ever tried a Lifeway Kefir product?  Love it or leave it?